The Prophet
by Blue2
Summary: Our friends start an exiting new school year where they are bound to find new love, new friends and new enemies. Could become lemon or Yaoi on later chapters. Mainly Kaiba, Bakura centered. Waning: Sex, violence, language and other adult contents could be
1. Why would I lie to you?

Note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh (I just wish I did *_*), yet there are some original characters in this story (Like Kei and June Hashikawa.) Alternate Universe Alert! (Not all characters or facts from the series or manga will be considered.) Yaoi Alert! (I might or might not use male/male implications, I haven't decide yet, still it is my humble opinion that there are enough stories of this category out there and not enough juicy girls and boys love stories to waste my time writhing another--- Ahhhh!!! 

**Blue:** _~Screams for dear life as she sees the angry face of her dark half as he steps out of a black hole on the wall next to her and starts to pull painfully at her hair.`~_

**Yami Blue:** ~_He speaks to her with a calm and sinister voice~_ **"You're such a hypocrite! Why don't you tell your readers how much you really love yaoi stories?"**

**Blue: **_~Pulls hair free from deadly grasp and shouts angrily at Yami Blue! _**"I never said I didn't liked them!!! I only said that I was tired of them! A poor innocent girl like myself can't live out of yaoi alone, you know?! I need puppy love and romance, and---."**

**Yami Blue:  ~**_Sweat drops and bursts Blue's little fantasy bubble by blurting out the cruel truth~ _**"What you need is to get laid."**

**Blue: **_~Falls down from her chair and turns red from head to toe like a giant tomato ~ _**"SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!!!"                 **_~Sits back on chair and continues to type down before losing her nerves~ _**"Anyway, here is my first Yu-Gi-OH story. I hope you enjoy it."**

The Prophet 

**Chapter 1: "Why would I lie to you?"**

By Blue

                        The young girl woke up from her restless sleep to find herself surrounded by the familiar dark corners of her bedroom. Although she was completely lucid at this time her body still felt, numb and cold, like that of a person who had been floating over freezing waters. She quickly began to search for warmth under the fluffy covers of her bed while at the same time trying to hold on to the details of her latest reverie. By the tears falling freely down her cheeks she could tell that the vision had been a very intense one, but nothing more. One more time she had fallen from reality into the abyss of the unknown only to come back empty handed. On her way back from oblivion, the images of her nightmarish premonition began to dissolve in her mind as easily as dust blows in the wind.

                        A second before expected, the door to her bedroom burst open and the lights where turned on. The room became illuminate to reveal the identity of the dark figure that had stood breathlessly in the doorway.

                        **"June! Are you alright?"** Asked her older sister a little alarmed.

                        **"Yes, I'm fine sis… Why? What's wrong?" **The girl in the doorway exhaled in relief and then she began to address her sister in a more defensive way.

                        **"You tell me! I heard a loud ruckus and then your screaming!" **Declared the startled sister while combing back her messy black hair with her fingers.

                        _Screaming? Could I have been screaming in my sleep without noticing?_ June was very surprise with herself but she hid her emotions well as not to make he sister more worried.

                        **"Sorry… I guess I had a nightmare or something."** Said June in a joking manner while trying to force a smile. The older sister began to approach June's bed when she stepped on one of June's many toys that laid on the floor. The woman frowned and picked up a weird looking stuffed creature that had a funny face and made and annoying squeaky sound in reproach every time it was squeezed.

                        **"Well that's no surprise considering this room! I though I told you to clean this place up before you started school tomorrow!" **She scolded while picking up some more of the mess.

                        Now that June could see her room clearly she noticed how lots of her stuff that where supposed to be neatly arranged over her dresser and night-table where now all over the floor without explanation.

                        **"But I did clean my room!"**

**                        "Then how do you explain all this?"**

**                        "Well… I guess… I guess I was sleepwalking as well." **Said June softly while looking away feeling embarrassed and confused.

                        **"Hm…" **Her sister replied with a petulant sound. Her features turned into a serious glare when she saw the trace of tears on her face.

**"Where you crying as well? What was this nightmare about?" **She asked soullessly.

                        **"I don't remember…" **June answered carelessly and her sister's glared deepened with anger. It was clear that she though that June was lying to her.

                        **"Honestly Kei! I don't remember! Why would I lie to you?"**

**                        "June sweetie…" **Said her big sister Kei in a patronizing way before sitting next to her on the mattress.

                        **"We are not kids anymore, you know? If something is bothering you, you have to tell me. Otherwise I can't help you. I know is not easy to start a new life, in a new place. Especially not after what happened---."**

**                        "That has nothing to do with it?" J**une added a little too quickly. She didn't like her sister to speak about their past.

                        **"I though you didn't remember what the dream was a about." **Said Kei while crossing her arms and legs and waiting for an explanation.****

**                        "I don't!" **She snapped right back at he sister a little too loudly than intended. Kei's eyes widen momentarily in surprise but then she masked her feelings rapidly behind her ever-present uncaring face. She didn't want her sister to notice how strongly she had been affected by her words. June realizing her mistake lowered her head and tone of voice even more in an apologetic way.

                        **"I just know all to well how those dreams are like… and this one was nothing like them."**

Kei's hard features now lessened somewhat with sadness but that as well went unnoticed by June as she continued to explain herself while looking away form her older sister.

                        **"Besides… I stopped having those kinds of nightmares for some time. I'm sorry if I woke you up but I'm fine now. I won't do it again I promise. I just need to go back to sleep." **After listening to her sister words Kei closed her eyes for a moment and said nothing. She believed in June's words but only because her little sister had never dared to lie to her before.

                        **"Very well, if you say so,"** she said somewhat condescending before getting off the bed and walking away towards the door. Before leaving and turning off the lights though, she stopped in the doorway to say some last words.

**"Just remember… I'm right in the next room if you need anything."**

**"Ok… Goodnight Sis," **said Junebefore covering herself back to sleep.

                        **"Night…" J**une heard her sister's careless reply before closing her bedroom door and letting her rest. She had expected to fall right back to sleep but instead she remained awake and all alone in the darkness, feeling very sad and very melancholic.

                        _"Kei is been acting so cold lately… I know she has always been a little distant with people but never like this… At least not with me… Could it be that she blames me for what happened? Or that she resents me now in some way."_

                        Tears began to fall once more from her eyes as her mind began to wonder off to bad memories.

                        _NO!!!_

                        She screamed in she mind pushing away her fears. She didn't want to kindle the thoughts that had once hunted her every night. Not now that she knew how to stop the nightmares.

                        Since she was very little this girl, June, has been able to have dreams or visions of what the future might bring. She is gifted with great intuition and emphatic abilities that not even her beloved sister Kei knew about. She has kept her amazing skills a secret for many years because, regrettably, her visions have only caused hardship to herself and her loved ones. She felt deeply ashamed of her freakish nature and she had sworn never to use her gift willingly again. But, now the dreams came to her without her asking, even during the daylight. And what was worst, those visions that were sure to be bad omens were now always blurry and distorted. She feared what this new change in her abilities could indicate, and how this new development could affect her and her sister's lives. She was afraid and very lonely because she knew not what to do, or who to trust.

TBC 

**Blue: **_~gives her readers her best puppy-eyes look~ _**"So… what do you think?"**

**Yami Blue: **~Steps unexpectedly once more and comments in a very sarcastic way~ **"Wasn't this supposed to be a Yu-Gi-Oh story?"**

**Blue: **_~snaps back at her obnoxious darker half~ _**"It's a teaser you moron! You expect me to write the whole damn story in one day? I got I life too, you know? Besides I wasn't asking you!" **_O_O__~realizing how she completely lost her cool, she coughs a few times to clear her throat and switches back to her charming yet nervous self~ _**"Well, as I was saying, don't be shy to tell me what you think. I promise to write some more very soon. Bye, bye…"**

Yami Blue: _~Smiles slightly to himself after watching his hikari runaway in embarrassment. _"Idiot…"_ ~Then he glares daggers at the readers who laughed at his hikari as well~_ "If any of you hurt her feelings… I'll rip the skin off your bodies with a spoon." _~He simply states his warning before turning his back to the audience and going after his other half~_   


	2. She did what?

**Blue: **_~speaks out with a hoarse voice and looking miserable beyond belief~ _**"Hi everyone. I have fallen gravelly ill this Thanksgiving Day because of food poisoning, can you believe that?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest~ _**"They would, if they had seen what I did. You ate more potato salad than was humanly possible."**

**Blue: **_~keeps typing in her computer while trying to ignore her yami~_** "Please go away Yami… I don't have the strength to fight with you right now."** _~she says hoarsely~_

**Yami Blue: **~glares at his hikari in concern~** "I will… as soon as you turn off that damn contraption and go back to bed."**

**Blue: **_~whines tiredly~_** "But I have to finish this chapter. My readers are counting on me."**

**Yami Blue: **_~grunts out petulantly~ _**"What makes you even think that someone is reading this crap, anyway? Is not like you have received any feedback."**

**Blue: **_~stops typing for a second and looks back angrily at his Yami but with tears in her eyes~ _**"My work is not crap! And when I do get some reviews I'm going to beat you over the head with each one of them! Now leave me alone!"**

**Yami Blue: **~surprised by her reaction he simply complies with her request and leaves the room silently~

**Blue: **~dries the annoying tears with the back of her hand and continues typing with more determination than ever~** "So, anyways, here is chapter two.  I hope you enjoy it. And please don't forget to review."**

**The Prophet**

**Chapter 2: "She did what!?"**

By Blue

****

     It's a beautiful and shiny morning today at Domino High and everyone seems eager to begin with the new school term, except for a very familiar group of friends who are dreadfully looking at their class programs.

**      "Oh man… I have to take Physics this year! What's that about, anyway?" **Says Joey in an annoying whiny tone.****

**     "Oh nothing much. Just, some meaningless theories about the workings of the universe." **Answers Tristan all knowingly.****

**     "Ok, you wise guy! If this crap is so important, how come I have never heard of it before, ha?"**

**     "Because you are an idiot?" **This last offense drove Joey into grabbing Tristan head in an arm lock and calling him all sorts of weird insults like; banana-head, pickled-brain and so on.  Tristan, on the other hand, not being one to give up easily in a fight, started to struggle with Joey. Soon the two where wrestling all over the floor without caring for the many spectators. While they continued with their playful yet somewhat brutal brawl Yugi and Téa decided to ignore their childish behavior and continue with their conversation. 

**     "So, Téa! What classes do you have? Are there many hard ones?"** Yugi asked with his characteristic cheerfulness. Téa, who had been only paying attention to her class program until that moment, looked up at her best friend and tried to force a smile.

**     "No, not really. I'm just sad that the four of us only share a few classes." **She said casually. Yugi looked at his friend with understanding. He had felt the same way after realizing that he wouldn't be spending that much time with his friends, but he tried to act happy for her sake. 

**      "That's ok. We can always see each other at lunchtime or after school, right? And at least this way we won't distract each other so much during classes." **

      Right after Yugi said this, Téa's eyebrows curved in speculation. She was wondering if Yugi had noticed how she sometimes stared at him during class and she would have felt greatly embarrassed if he had not beaten her to the punch by turning a bright shade of red. He had just realized what his words could imply and he was now desperately trying to fix any misinterpretation. 

**      "I mean-- not that you distract me during class or anything like that! I mean, you do, but not in a bad way! What I mean is--" **

**     "That's ok Yugi. I understand." **She reassured her friend and laughed a little**. **Somehow, Yugi could always manage to lighten her spirits.

**      "And you are right! Just because we are not in the same classroom doesn't mean that we'll stop being friends. This might be even good for us after all. We can make new friends… and God knows it won't hurt Joey to pay more attention in class." **She said the last in a lower criticizing manner. It was getting difficult for anyone passing by the hallway to ignore or even evade the bickering of her two friends.****

**     "Hey, I resent that!" **Joey commented while trying to maintain Tristan under control. **"I got good grades last years, didn't I? Especially in Math!" **Joey stated in his defense while Tristan broke free from his grasp and gained the upper hand.

**     "That's because we used to hit you on the head with the Math book every time you fell asleep." **Said Tristan after twisting Joey's arm a little for effort. 

**     "Why you—." **The rest of Joey words where lost between cries and insults as Tristan continued to torture him. By this time it was obvious that the two where not about to stop any time soon so Téa decided to brake them apart. ****

**     "Could you two just stop fighting for one day? You have been at each other's throats all summer!" **She declared very annoyed by their constant battling. The fact was that she and everyone else were begining to worry about the stability of their relationship. The two boys had been arguing more than usual lately and their friends had been desperate to know what was troubling them.  Thankfully, one of them finally declared what was wrong. 

**     "That's because Joey doesn't like the idea that I am dating his sister." **Said Tristan. 

**     "Dream on, you cheap Casanova!" **Said Joey mockingly.

**     "Just because the two of you shared an ice cream or two, that doesn't mean that she'll fall for a snooty geek like you!"**

Joey spitted back the remark making his friend suddenly angry. It was true that he was annoyed by Joey's protectiveness over his little sister, but until that moment he had never been really hurt by his insults. For the first time in his life, Tristan wanted to hurt his friend back and he knew exactly what would do the job. A little secret he had been keeping and had been dying to blurt out.

**     "Oh yeah!  If I'm so unlikable, then why did she kissed me goodbye before living to get her operation." **Everyone in the hallway stopped what they where doing to see how Joey's eyes widened out of their sockets and then fell on his face completely shocked by the news. 

**     "She did what?!" **Joey said softly almost to himself.****

**     "Yup! She gave me a kiss! And not just a messily friendly peck on the cheek; she kissed me long and good right on the—Ack… Gack… Joey…" **Tristan could not finish his sentence as Joey recovered from his stunned state and began to strangle him.

**     "You take that back!" **Joey shouted while squeezing harder on his friends neck.  The boys where now making quite a spectacle of themselves.

**     "You guys!" **Téa scolded at them. She really didn't believe that Joey would murder Tristan but when she saw Tristan's face turn blue she gasped in fright.

**     "Oh my God! Tristan!" **Yugi also realizing the danger of the situation jumped in to pull the boys apart.

**     "Joey, that's enough! Let go! You're hurting him!" **Yugi stopped Tristan from shocking to death but he could not manage to calm the boys down. They where still going at each like two crazy dogs and with him in the middle. 

**     "Ouch! Hey that's MY arm!" **Yugi yelled in pain as one of them bit his arm.

**     "Yugi!" **Téa called out.   

**     "Let go of him you morons! You are hurting him!" **She said angrily while hitting the two boys over the head with her books.

Seeing that the pain was increasing rapidly, Yugi called out to the one person he could always count on. He called out to the spirit of his millennium puzzle.__

_     Ahhh! Yami! Help!_

     Yami heard Yugi's telepathic cry and immediately responded by taking control of the boy's body. He was going to handle this situation personally. 

**     "Joey! Tristan! Stop this nonsense at once!" **He yelled out with his deep voice feeling very angry with the two boys for hurting his partner. He would have turned violent as well if not for the sweet sound of a feminine voice that shyly and softly spoke out to the four of them and froze them on their spots.  

**     "Excuse me…" **Said the lovely girl while fidgeting.

**     "Would any of you tell me where's the principal's office?" **Téa blinked a few times wondering where this cute little girl had come from. She was very impressed with her good looks not to mention the otherboys who where now categorizing her attributes. The girl was almost the same size as Téa but with a long blue braid that was brought from the side to cascade over her petit chest, and caramel colored eyes that expressed great openness and kindness. Although the tree boys where still in a stupefied state they answered the girl's question by simply pointing to the right direction. 

**     "Oh… Thank you!" **Said the smiling girl before walking away as if she had not just seem four students foolishly beating each other up. 

**     "Wow… who was that?" **Asked Joey while getting on his feet and slapping the dust off his uniform. The other two boys followed suit while asking themselves the same thing. They had obviously forgotten all about what they where doing. 

**     "Don't know. I've never seen her before." **Said Tristan.****

**     "She must be a new student," **Yami commented while looking at the direction where the girl had disappeared.

**     "Exactly! Why else would a nice good looking girl like that be looking for the principal's office?" **Joey said with great enthusiasm before someone hit him painfully over the head, before Tristan and Yami followed suit.

**"My poor head…" **Tristan cried. Yami only hissed silently while rubbing the pain off his head. Joey them turned angrily to confront their attacker.

**     "Hey! That hurt!" **He complained while looking over his shoulder to find the terrifying site of a very annoyed friend and an extremely pest-off girlfriend. Joey didn't know at what time Mai had arrived at the scene and he didn't cared. At the moment the only thing he was wondering about was why did she and Téa looked like they wanted to kill someone.

**     "You… Mister Wheeler, are coming with me." **Said Mai firmly before picking Joey by an ear and dragging his sorry behind away from the rest of the group. 

**     "What was that for?" **Tristan wondered and Téa answered back angrily.

**     "You guys are impossible!" **She spited out of jealousy making Tristan and Yami jump a little in surprise. She them went marching off to her classroom mumbling some stuff about stupid boys and raging hormones.

**     "Jeez… What got into her?" **Asked Tristan while Yami was still rubbing his head.

**     "I don't know" **Yami answered casually but in reality he was very interested to know what he had done to offend the girl. 

**     "Hey, wait up! Téa!" **Yami called out, begging her to stop while he and Tristan ran after her.

     A few seconds after our friends fled the hallways the students continued with their normal comings and goings, and then a tall burnet with blood red eyes came out from her hiding place around the corner. She had been following her younger sister June when they encountered the scene of the four students fighting in the hallway. She had suggested finding an alternate route to the principal's office when June had surprised her by going forward and stopping the fight with a simple question. She knew that June had only done that to prove to her older sister, that she could take care of herself but Kei wasn't about to lower her guard. She gave the girl credit for her courage but she still believed that high school students where the cruelest of all living creatures and she wasn't about to let any of them hurt her beloved little sister.

**TBC**

**Yami Blue: **_~sneaks a peek inside Blue's bedroom an hour later to find her sleeping over the computer keyboard~_** "Stubborn little brat…" **_~He whispers to himself before picking her up and placing her over her bed~_

**Blue: **_~covers herself with the covers and mumbles in her sleep~ _**"My work is not crap…"**

**Yami Blue: **_~berates at himself for hurting his hikari's feelings and tries to apologize~_ **"You're right… I'm sorry."**

**Blue: **~slightly smiles and then continues to snore some more softly ~

**Yami Blue: **_~smiles at her cuteness and then goes back to the computer to save her files before turning the machine off~_


	3. Why do I hear laughter in my head?

**Blue: **_~speaks out to her readers with great cheerfulness~ _**"Hi everyone! Before I begin with chapter 3, I want to thank my family and friends for their support in my time of misery during this last Thanksgiving Day, but more importantly, I want to thank the awesome Mighty Shade and the lovely Lady Jasmine for my first two reviews."**

     ~_She blinks… she blinks some more…her eyes begin to water… and then she throws herself at her computer and starts crying like a maniac~_

**     "Oh, thank you for caring you guys!" **_~sniff…sniff…~ _**"From this day forward I promise to review each and every story I happen read on FF." **_~sniff even more~ _**"You have no idea how horrible it is to hunger for some feedback! Especially when there is a certain someone who won't stop making fun of you by saying that your writing is nothing but a lousy waste of time! Which reminds me…"**

_      ~Looks around defensively but finds no one in the empty to room. ~_

**      "I wonder were that sorry excuse for a partner is?" **_~she whispers to herself_**~ "Actually, now that I think about it. I haven't seen my Yami at all this last couple of days. I wonder what he is up to… Oh well, never mind! Lets continue with the story shall we?"**

 ****

**The Prophet**

**Chapter 3: "Why do I hear laughter in my head?"**

By Blue 

      Téa Gardner was sulking in her Chemistry class while waiting for the teacher to arrive to the classroom. She knew that she had no right to feel jealous about Yugi liking a girl, or even Yami for that matter, but still, she couldn't help it. The situation was just beginning to drive her nuts, as her feelings for the two seemed to increase with each day. The boys on the other hand, where not helping her to decide as both of them seem to care for her very much yet none ever gave any real signs of liking her in a romantic way. As her mind kept wondering off to Yami and Yugi she missed the sight of one of her friends entering the classroom and waving hello.

**     "Téa? Téa…" **Said Ryou Bakura before tapping on her shoulder. Téa finally snapped back to reality and greeted her friend with a smile.

**     "Oh, hi Ryou!"**

**     "Are you alright? You seemed very worried about something." **Bakura asked a little concerned. He didn't expect any of his friends to have a problem on the very first day of school.

**     "Oh, is nothing really. I was just wondering—Hey! Maybe you can help me!"**

**     "I'll be glad to help you," **he exclaimed with enthusiasm a little too quickly.

**     "With what exactly?" **He then asked while sitting in a stool next to her.****

**     "How would you describe your Yami, Bakura? Would you say he is a complete different person or just a different personality?" **Bakura blinked a few times before answering. The question had taken him greatly by surprise. For a moment he wondered if his Yami was listening to their conversation, but then he figured that it really didn't mattered at all. He had decided long ago to never let himself be intimidated by his darker half again. 

**     "Well… um… I don't think of Yami and myself as being one and the same person. I mean… I know he is supposed to be like this dark part of me, or something like that. And I know that he hasn't been his mean evil old self since Yugi's Yami told him off but… I don't think I'll ever be as close to him as Yugi is with his Yami." **Bakura looked away sadly for a moment and then Téa felt guilty for lowering his mood.

**     "I'm sorry Ryou. I didn't mean to get you down."**

_      Boy Téa, you can be such a klutz sometimes!_

      She thought to herself. She knew Ryou was very sensitive when talking about the dark spirit his millennium ring. Even though he had never spoken badly about Bakura they all knew that someway or another his yami had made him suffer.

**     "I wasn't thinking when I asked that question." **She continued with her apology.****

**     "Yeah, I know." **Ryou said casually and then snickered devilishly when he realized what was bothering Téa.

**     "You where thinking about Yugi, weren't you?" **He continued to use a casual tone as to trick her friend into talking some more about herself.

**"Yeah… Is just that, Yugi is been acting so strong and confident lately, and Yami can be so sweet and innocent at times it makes me wonder if they— Ryou Bakura you slime! You tricked me!" **Ryou began to laugh fondly at Téa's embarrassment while dodging her punches at the same time.

**     "Hey I didn't do anything! You where the one babbling your mouth away!" **Téa stopped attacking Ryou to cover her blushing face with her hands.

**     "Oh my God! I can't believe I said all that!"**

**     "Relax… Is not like it's a big secret. Everybody can see that the two of you are attracted to each other."**

**     "You really think he likes me?" **Téa asked very surprised and still blushing.****

**     "Of course…"**

**     "Good Morning students…" **They heard the voice of the teacher say as he came walking through the door and towards his desk.

**     "Good morning sensei" **Some students replied while others looked for a place to sit.

**     "Before we begin, I want you to take a good look at the students sitting at your table, for they will become your assigned partners for the rest of the school year. If any of you wish to switch places with someone now will be the time to do so." **Some of the students stood up to change their sits but mostly only those who where sitting by themselves. Every table had space for tree students but most of the groups consisted of only two. Téa and Bakura looked at each other very pleased with their pairing.

**     "Say, Ryou… Is there someone you like?" **Téa whispered playfully but Ryou only smiled at her question. He though she was only tying to tease him.

**     "Come on, you can tell me! Is it a girl or a boy?" **This question Ryou did take seriously as he almost fell from the stool he was sitting on.

**     "What the HELL makes you think that I would be interested in a BOY?" **He spited out immediately almost loud enough for the others in the classroom to hear. Fortunately the students where still making enough noise for his comment to pass unnoticed. Téa looked at Ryou surprised by his reaction and very embarrassed to have offended him.

**     "Well… I… You remember last weak when we all went to the beach?" **She began to say in the form of a confession.****

**     "Yeah… What about it?" **Ryou's left eyebrow began to twitch in annoyance.

**     "Well… there was this time when you weren't   around… and Mai commented something about you looking hot in that swimsuit..." **Bakura then blushed a little while remembering that he had worn a pair of black tight scuba pants that day. He had barrowed them from his yami, just because he had not found anything else to wear.  

**     "We all knew she had mostly just said that to make Joey jealous, but then the guys and I began to wonder why you have never had a girlfriend or even talked that much about girls."**

**     "And your best conclusion was that I was gay?" **Ryou exclaimed in indignation.****

**     "No… that was Bakura's suggestion." **Immediately after this was said, Ryou's aura turned black as he heard an explosion of mocking laughter coming from his yami's soul room. 

**     "Why do I hear laughter in my head?"**

     Now the laughter increased to an almost hysterical level, that he had never heard his yami reach before.

_     I'm glad that you are amused._

     Ryou sent the sarcastic mental message to his yami. 

**     "Don't worry Ryou… I'm sure no one took his comment seriously." **Téa also laughed a little at his friend. She had not expected Ryou to be so annoyed by something so trivial.****

_     Now, don't be like that Ryou… _

     The dark spirit from his millennium ring spoke mockingly to his light by the use of their mind link.

_     After all… I was only following your advice._

     Bakura frown in resentment towards his pestering yet ever present companion.  ****

_     I asked you to try and have fun with my friends! Not to lie and humiliate me in public!_

     Ryou blurted out angrily.

_     Well I for one thought it was fun._

     Bakura responded flatly, as if he could care less for partner's angry tone.

**     "In any case," **Téa continued to speak.****

**     "You still haven't answered my question."**

**     "What question?" **Ryou asked, while returning his attention to the matter at hand.

**     "Who is it that you like?" **She asked seriously this time. Even though she had mocked him earlier, she really did cared about her friend's feelings.

**     "Well…" **Ryou stalled for a moment in thought.

**     "I don't think I like anyone in particular at the moment." **

**     "Really? Why not?" **Téa asked even more curious than before.****

**     "Well, is not that I am picky with girls, like some people…" **Said in a scolding way. The comment was obviously directed to his yami.

**     "But… I guess I just haven't found the right one." **Téa's eyes suddenly sparkled with adoration. She couldn't believe there was a boy who still believed in true love.****

**     "Oh, Ryou that is so sweet!" **She said with a deep sigh while Ryou could have sworn he heard Yami Bakura making heaving noises on the background. 

**     "So what kind of girl are you looking for?" **Asked Téa with great enthusiasm. She was already planning to match Ryou with some friend of hers.****

**     "I don't know… I just—" **The rest of Ryou's words disappeared from his mind as he averted the captivating presence of a new arrival to their classroom.  ****

**     "Oh yes! I almost forgot." **The teacher said after noticing the girl who was standing in the doorway. The girl came slowly inside the classroom and into the view of the rest of the students. Téa them understood why Ryou had been rendered speechless. The girl seemed to have that effect on people.****

**     "Class… I want you to welcome a new student to our school, Miss June Hashikawa…" **They girl bowed slightly as she was introduced by her new teacher and promptly directed herself to find a place to sit.****

**     "Just a moment Miss Hashikawa…" **She was stopped in her tracks at her teacher's request.

**     "It is customary for new students to tell the class a little about themselves**." The teacher explained.****

**     "Oh… I am sorry." **June excused herself for her unintentional rudeness. For such a young looking girl she held in her voice the strength and confidence of a young woman.

**     "Well… As you may have guessed by now, I am not only new to this school but to your country as well. I just recently moved here with my family, so if you see me acting strange or just plain silly, don't mind me at all, I have jet lots to learn about your customs and social etiquettes. Why, just a few minutes ago I finally understood what sempai really meant. All this while I though it was some kind of cool nickname, or something." **She said with a hint of humor making some of the students laugh a little as well as her teacher.

**     "Miss Hashikawa is actually being very modest." **The teacher added.****

**     "This remarkable young lady has never been to an actual normal school before yet she qualified so highly in her aptitude test that it was recommended that she would be placed at least one grade ahead of her age." **All the students began to whisper between themselves while June blushed slightly.

**     "Well thank for your time Miss Hashikawa. You may sit were ever you please. I'm sure anyone would be happy to have you in their study group." **As soon as the teacher said this, many of the boys began to eagerly call on the girl to sit at their table. Ryou Bakura would have loved to have her sit at his table as well, but he was still too enticed with the girl's beauty to say anything coherent. At the sight of so many places to pick from June remain hesitant for a moment until surprisingly a girl also spoke out to her from a corner of the room.

**     "Hey June! Come sit with us! There is plenty of room for you here!" **Ryou couldn't believe what Téa had done.Not only had she asked the cutest girl he had ever seen to sit at their table but she had also moved from her original place so June could sit right next to him.

**     "Téa! What do you think your doing?" **Ryou asked quickly but silently.****

**     "Making a new friend…" **She said innocently.

_     And getting you a girlfriend…_

    She then added silently with mischievously delight. June, recognizing who the girl was, began to walk towards to sit at her table.

**    "Hi… I don't think we have been properly introduced. I'm June Hashikawa." **Said the girl while extending her right handto shake Téa's.

**    "Hi, I'm Téa Gardner, and this is my friend Ryou Bakura." **June then turned to look at the male student sitting at his other side and greeted him with a timid smile. 

**    "Nice to meet you Ryou!" **She extended the straight formal greeting while Ryou on the other hand sounded nervous and almost stammering.****

**    "Nice, to meet you too, June" **

    Téa observed in amusement, as the two students reacted to each other. They would have probably stayed staring at one another, if not for the distraction of a few ill comments from some of the other nearby male students.

**     "This is not fair! How come Bakura gets to sit with the two cutest girls in the class." **A boy said to another just loud enough for the students to hear.****

**    "Don't worry about Bakura, I heard that he was gay." **Another boy said.His comment had been followed by the subtle yet distinctive sound of a wooden pencil braking in Ryou's hand. June tried to act as if nothing had happened while Téa had gasped in surprise and then turned around to glare at the gossiping boys.

**    "You don't say! Well at least that would explain a few things." **Ryou had tried desperately to remain calm but after this last comment was said he lost complete control of his temper.****

**    "God damn it! I am NOT gay!" **Ryou said this time loud enough for the entire classroom to hear. 

**    "Mister Bakura!" **The teacher said quickly, in a strong commanding way, making Ryou realize his mistake and jump on his sit.****

**    "Would you like to be the first student to get detention this year?" **The man threatened.****

**    "Ah—no, no sir!" **Ryou answered quickly feeling extremely embarrassed. 

**    "Well then, you better mind your mouth, sit up straight and pay attention!" **Ryou immediately lowered his head and did as he was told.

    "**As for the rest of the class, I want to make very clear that Mister Bakura's sexual preference is nobody's business but his own." **Ryou was too mortified to look in anyone's direction. He wanted nothing more than to bang his head against something hard until he lost consciousness. 

**    "Now the next person I catch speaking during my class will be punished with one moth of moping duty, is that understood?"**

**    "Yes Sensei…" **All the students answered quickly except for the tree sitting at Ryou's table.The girls wanted to comfort the poor boy, who looked mortified beyond belief, but they where to scared of their teacher to do so at the moment.

    Yami Bakura, on the other hand, felt the need to say a few words to his partner.

_    "Wow Ryou! I have never heard you curse in public before. You make me so proud."_

    They only thing that could lighten Ryou's spirits at this time would be for the ground to swallow him up, or for his yami to choke on his words and die a painful death. 

_    "Leave me alone Yami! This is all your fault!" _He said very angry to his yami. 

_    "Hey! That bit about you being gay was only meant as I joke. I never expected anyone to actually believe me." _Said Bakura in his defense. He had come to care a lot for Ryou over the years but he wasn't about to say it any time soon or even admit that he had done something wrong and apologize.

_    "Besides, I wasn't the one to spread the rumor around the school. You have only your so-called friends to blame for that."_

_    "I told you to leave me the fuck alone!" _Ryou shouted furiously through his mind link. His voice made all the walls in his yami's soul room tremble.

_    "Wow! Two curses in one day? It seems I'm making quite a good influence in you after all."_

Ryou then took off his millennium ring to harshly throw it inside his school bag. It was easier for him to ignore his yami and block him out of his mind when he wasn't so close to the magical artifact_._

**    "I guess I went a little too far with that one." **Yami Bakura said to himself while feeling some remorse for causing Ryou to speak to him so heatedly. 

    Of course, this was nothing new. This had not been the first fight the boys have ever had, or the most brutal. It was kind of a routine for them to fight about every little thing now and then. Bakura had even taken a liking to beat Ryou into a bloody pulp, just for the hell of it. But Ryou had never fought back before, or even dared to raise his voice to his yami in the past.

    Many things had changed since the Duel Monsters Kingdom Tournament. The boys had become friends of some sort, and the spirit had often wondered why his hikari had put up with his abusiveness for so long. After Yami Yugi had put him in his place, he had kept pestering Ryou from time to time but only because he wanted the boy to develop a stronger character. He cared for Ryou so much that he didn't want anyone to be able to hurt him as he once did. But now that he had personally tasted the results of his work, he felt deeply ashamed of his behavior. Ryou had always treated him with nothing but infinite patience, but even the most kind of people had their braking point. He really wanted to repay his partner for all the kindness he had showed him time over time. He wanted to make his hikari happy. The only problem was that he didn't know what to do, or how to feel.

**TBC**

**Blue**: _~ keeps typing down on her computer with enthusiasm when she suddenly she notices his Yami staring at her from the doorway in his signature pose (that is: leaning against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest and a slight frown in his face) ~ _**"Oh! Hello Yami! How long have you been standing there?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~ closes his eyes for a moment and answers her question nonchalantly. ~_** "For a while… I'll leave if that's what you want."**

**Blue: ~ **_feeling a little heartache because of his Yami's aloof demeanor towards her. ~ _**"Don't be silly Yami of course you can stay. Hey, and guess what! I found out his morning that my story got two very friendly reviews! Isn't that cool?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~ widens eyes for a second in surprise and then continues to stare at her with his usual frown. ~_**"Well that depends…** **are you planning on beating me over the head you with each one of them?"**

**Blue: **_~ blinks a few times in surprise and confusion. ~ _**"Whatever made you think that I would do something like—" **_~ she stops talking after remembering what she had said a couple of days ago. ~ _**"Oh, yeah… I did say that didn't I." **_~ she looks away for a moment in embarrassed and then comes up with an idea to brighten their moods. ~_ **"I'll tell you what. If I were to turn off my computer right now and forget all the mean things we said to each other that day, would you spent the rest of the afternoon playing with me?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~Yami's heart skipped a beat in delight but felt the need to cover his raging excitement by questioning her proposal. ~ _**"Do I get to pick this game we are to play?"**

**Blue: **_~Smiles nervously back at him. ~_** "Sure… whichever you want."**

**Yami Blue: **_~ softens his features to smile playfully at his hikari. ~ _**"Then you got a deal." **_~Blue pleased by his Yami's answer saves the file she was working on and then turns off her computer. ~_


	4. And who might you bee?

**Blue: **_~waves hello happily to all readers. ~ _**"Hi there everyone! I just wanted to make clear before hand that I have no real knowledge of how to play Duel Monsters, so I have made up a few cards and rules of my own to be used in this story."**

**Yami Blue: **_~Drops lazily and bored out of his mind to the bed next to where Blue is writing on her computer. ~ _**"Don't you have anything better to do?"**_ ~He says sarcastically. ~_****

**Blue: **_~keeps typing in her computer but tries to maintain a friendly conversation ~_** "Like what, for example?"**

**Yami Blue: **~Softens features while looking at the ceiling. ~** "I don't know… I mean… don't you ever like, go out or something?"**

**Blue: **_~Stops typing and reconsiders. ~_** "You know… Now that you mention it, it has been a while since the last time I went out with my friends. I guess I'll give them a call." **~Turns off the computer and leaves happily to find the telephone. ~

**Yami Blue: **_~grunts out and mumbles to an empty room. ~ _**"That's not exactly what I had in mind…" **

**The Prophet**

**Chapter 4: "And who might you be?"**

By Blue

     Seto Kaiba was sitting in his desk, waiting with a grimaced face for what promised to be a very boring first day of school. He knew very well that he could be tutored at home, yet he found that idea extremely confiding and even more tedious than the first one. As the CEO of his own company and expert duelist he considered that it was better to be outside, in the real world, where he could widen his perspective and have a clearer vision of what the future might bring.

After his unexpected mishap with Pegasus and Yugi Mutou he realized that he could not afford to let down his guard again or to let his arrogance blind him from what was important. His personality had not changed much, in the months that had followed the Duelist Kingdom Tournament, yet in his ways Seto Kaiba had changed considerably. He became more affectionate with his little brother Mokuba and although he never admitted to like their company he was often civil to Yugi and his friends.

In the time he spent with his fellow duelists, Kaiba had learned about the millennium items and the powers they bestowed over their masters, but even after acquiring this knowledge he had not stopped from trying to defeat his rival Yami/Yugi.  He was very determined to reclaim his title as world champion, and he will not stop achieving victory. Even now, as he waited for his first class to begin he was still looking at his cards and thinking of a new strategy to use against his eternal rival.

"You never give up, do you?" Said Yami to Kaiba as he walked inside the classroom and found him looking at his cards.                         "You wish…" Answer Kaiba with a smirk, as he recognized the voice of the ancient spirit coming from Yugi's body. He had not expected to hear from Yami so early in the morning and although he would never say it he was always glad to see him. "Do you really expect me to give up? What kind of person do you think I am?" He asked now looking directly at him. "A very stubborn one." Yami answered fondly while sitting next to him. "I have told you many times before… you cannot win against the power of my millennium puzzle." He declared with great confidence yet Kaiba remained unaffected. "Your overconfidence will be your undoing, Pharaoh. You of all people should know that nobody is unbeatable. And I will find a way to defeat you eventually, make no mistake about that." Kaiba exclaimed before gathering his cards and arranging them back in a deck. "On the other hand, if you are too scared to face…" He sneaked the harmless little come back knowing very well that Yami could not resist the challenge. 

                        **"Very well… Just don't expect me to go easy on you just because we are now friends." **Yami answered back while sitting on a desk next to him and preparing himself for class. Times like this were now often to the spirit of the millennium puzzle as he would do regular normal stuff like taking a class or going out just to have fun with his friends. Yugi had even asked his grandfather permission to have his Yami living at their home as part of the family. He considered the spirit to be as real and human as any of his friends, and he refused to have him always locked up in his soul room like if he where some kind of genie or servant. Yami was happy and very grateful to have such a goodhearted friend, yet there where times likes this when he would take control of Yugi's body that he would become preoccupied for the boy. 

**                        _"_**_You know… I wouldn't tease him so much, Yami. He is getting better with every duel. So far we have just been lucky to win…" _Said Yugi to the spirit by the use of their mind link.

_"Don't worry my young friend. I am very aware and proud of our friend's growing improvement. I only tease him to keep his interest. After all, I need him to keep you on your guard… There's no real challenge in a duel if you don not fear you opponent." _Said Yami.****

_"I'm not afraid of Kaiba…" _Said Yugi quickly in a defensive way.

_"Then why haven't you challenged him without my help, as you have done so many times before with your other friends? And why haven't you come out of your soul room and back into your body to greet him and take your class?"_ Yami words where more a statement than actual questions. He knew very well that his hikari had avoided Kaiba since the Duel Kingdom Tournament. He didn't actually believed that Yugi was afraid of the boy, however the though of him having that kind of aloof behavior troubled him deeply. Yugi on the other hand, tried to act as normal and cheerful as ever. 

_"I don't know… I guess I'm just too comfortable in here."_ Said Yugi playfully and carefree from his soul room. 

_"That's precisely what I'm worried about… I'm will always be there when you need me aibou, but you can't expect me to live your life for you. You will have to confront Kaiba soon enough, and while we are on that subject, you will have to confront Téa as well." _This comment from his Yami did make Yugi jump in surprise and worry. Now that the spirit had his hikari's attention he continued to give his usual lecture to the boy.

_"Don't think for a moment that I have forgotten about that little trick you pulled when you set me up on a blind date with her. If you really want to know how she feels then you must be more daring and ask her yourself." _Yami said in a commanding way.

_"But Yami…"_ Yugi had begun to protest when he was interrupted by the teacher's arrival.

"Good Morning students!" She said in a business manner. _"We'll talk about this later."_ Said Yami quickly to silence the boy. Yugi might be in his soul room but he still had to pay attention to class while his spirit acted as his eyes and ears. "Please take your sits." The teacher continued while all the students paid attention. "Before we begin, I want you to welcome a new student." As soon as she said this, a girl student came into the classroom holding a few books in her hand and carrying a backpack over her shoulder. "Miss Hashikawa you may introduce yourself to the rest of the class." The teacher directed to the girl while she stood in front of the entire class to make her introduction. With her long dark unruly hair, tanned skin and blood red eyes she gave the same impression of a panther, which can resemble elegance and beauty as well as fierceness and strength. "Hello… I'm Kei Hashikawa..." Said the serious looking girl in a monotone voice.  "Isn't there anything more you would like to tell us?" The teacher pleaded yet she continued to look unaffected. "I don't like talking about myself." She said flatly. Kei didn't mean to sound hostile or unfriendly. That was just the way she was. 

                        **"Oh… Well… Thank you anyway Miss Hashikawa, you may sit down." **The teacher said somewhat uncomfortable with the girl's antisocial behavior but she excused her nevertheless.Kei then walked forward and sat a few sits just in front of the boys. Kaiba watched the exotic beauty with intense curiosity as well as Yugi and his yami. 

_Hm… Yami? Is that what I think it is?_ Yugi asked suddenly realizing something very particular about the new girl's backpack.

                        Yes it is… Very interesting…Yami said to Yugi confirming his suspicions. Kaiba had noticed how Yami/Yugi had stared at the new girl and could not resist teasing him about it **     "Taking a liking to the new girl, I see!" **Kaiba teased yet the ancient spirit answered him with an all-knowing smirk.****

     "I would say it is you who admires the girl's good looks since you failed to notice anything else."

Kaiba frowned a little not liking how he had ended as the subject of his own joke.

"What do you mean?"

"Take a closer look to what she is carrying."

Kaiba then observed the backpack more carefully and realized that it was a special kind of bag made to carry big amounts of Duel Monster Cards.

**"Well, well, well… would you look at that!" **Kaiba exclaimed with a hint of his sinister excitement. 

_"She must have at least four different decks in that bag."_ Yugi commented silently to his partner.

**"I wonder why she would bring that many cards on the first day of school." **Kaiba said playfully not really meant as a question.

**"I think she came well prepared to either trade some cards, or to make a statement." **At this exact moment Kei happened to turn her head to look at the students behind her. She stared for a second or two directly at Kaiba but only because she could tell that he and another boy seemed to be speaking about her. When Kaiba realized that he, unlike Yugi, who was out of her field of vision, had been caught in the act, he simply smiled arrogantly at the girl making her frown and turn her back on them in return.

**"What do you think?" **Asked Yami, wondering why Kaiba looked so interested in the girl.****

**"I think, this day might not turn out to be such a boring one after all." **Kaiba answered with a predatory look in his eyes.

For Kaiba a new duelist meant new cards and new strategies he could later add to his own. He knew that with each victory he became a stronger opponent for Yugi and he was eager to challenge this new duelist, even if she was just some mindless little girl in his book.

Some classes and a few hours later came the time for lunchtime and recess, giving the students the opportunity to eat as well as to do what they liked to do best, and that was playing some cards.

A large group had gathered in the school's courtyard around a playing table where the new mysterious dark haired girl had made the open challenge to any student brave enough to face her in a duel. So far she had won against ten or more of the best player the school had to offer yet none of them included Yugi or one of his friends.

**"No way!" **A boy exclaimed in indignation as he realized that he had lost the match.****

**"Sorry kid… but you did put a good fight." **Kei said to him with respect yet her kind words didn't seemed to lessen the pain of her opponent's defeat.****

"I can't believe I lost!" Said the boy with some sorrow while others laughed playfully at his pitiful expression. 

**"Don't look so surprised! She has already beaten half the student body." **One boy from the crowd commented.****

**"Oh yeah? Well I bet there are some friends of mine who she doesn't stand a chance against." **Another boy added with some spite yet Kei only smiled at the boy's cocky attitude.

**"I sincerely hope so? I would hate to think that I came to this country to learn nothing new." **She girl said with admirable self-assurance and then a deep strong voice from a familiar duelist was heard above the others.  

**"I'm glad to see someone who is not afraid of a challenge." **Said Yami to the new girl while the students moved out of the way to make room for the new challenger.

**"Look its Yugi!" **A boy commented with please.****

**"Alright! Now we are talking!" **Another said with excitement. They were all eager to see the newcomer be put to shame.****

**"Yugi?" **Kei asked with some fright and her eyes widen in surprise.

**"The…   Yugi Mutou?" **She obviously knew him by reputation and was now aware of how big of a challenge his next contender will be. 

**"That's right." **Said Yami with his signature self-confident smile.

**"And if you are willing, I will like to challenge you to a duel?" **Kei recovered from her amazed state to greet her opponent, as she would do any other.

**"You give me much honor Yugi Mutou. Is not every day that a champion duelist wishes to face me. Although I must confess, I expected the so called King of Games to be a lot more intimidating… or at least somewhat taller… no offence." **She said in a cool manner yet with good humor. 

**"None taken." **Yami said sincerely. He was glad to find that the girl in spite of her dark looks and somewhat distant personality she was not only a good duelist but in fact a humble and respectable person. It was a shame that so many others who were as good as her tended to act conceited and even cruel with their opponents.

"So… should we begin?" The girl asked while shuffling the same deck of cards she had been using against the other students. Yugi was about to take out his own cards out when all of the sudden someone called for them to stop.

**"Wait…" **The low and characteristic voice of Seto Kaiba commanded.****

**"In order to face Yugi you will have to face me first."**

**"And who might you be?" **The girl Kei asked with a frown after recognizing the boy with the long purple overcoat and briefcase.  It was the same boy she had caught talking behind her back earlier during class.

**"If you knew of Yugi Mutou then you must have surely heard about me as well."** Said the boy looking smugly at the two.

**"What gives Kaiba?" Yami asked felling very confused by the boy's intrusion.**

**"Kaiba! You---you are Seto Kaiba?" Kaiba's notice the girl's reaction as she spoke somewhat fretfully. He kept looking at her with intense determination yet he continued to address Yugi without pause.**

**"Sorry Yugi, but it is only right that you should be the last in turn. After all, you are the duelist, who is at the moment highest in rank. If this little girl wants to duel with you then she must first prove that she is worthy of such challenge." Yugi frowned from his soul room at Kaiba's audacity feeling very displeased to see him act as his old egotistical self again. Yami just witness with boredom what he understood to be the boy's wounded pride.**

**"I still fail to see your point, Kaiba." Yami exclaimed without amusement while the new girl, Kei, took hold of her emotions to speak with character on her behalf.**

**"Nevertheless, there is some truth in his words." She spoke out loud with great seriousness.**

**"I would like to face him first, if you don't mind?" She asked respectfully to the King of Games but without taking her eyes from Kaiba.**

**"So you know who I am, after all?" Said Kaiba while smiling smugly.**

**"You see Yugi? Even she understands what I'm talking about. Weak duelist should do well to recognize their superiors." He laughed at her softly but effectively, as she glared back at the boy's provocation with furor.**

**"The only thing I recognize is that you are indeed as arrogant, as people say. It is sad really… but if a duel is what you want then it will be my pleasure to be the one to finally teach you some humility." Nobody in the room, not even Seto himself, could believe that this girl had, just threatened him, in her own way. He had been very pleased by her defiance at first but all too soon his sentiment turned into hatred more than excitement.**

**"You've got spunk kid, I'll give you that." He said with malice. He could almost taste her defeat and sub-sequential humiliation.**

**"You will find soon enough that I have more than just words. Like you, I also have some unique cards in my possession but I have restrained myself from using them until now." While saying this to her challenger, Kei put her deck back into her bag and took out a new one that was distinctively held together by a crimson ribbon.**

**"To honor your challenge Seto Kaiba, I will use this particular deck, which I have reserved to use only with a special duelist such as yourself." Kaiba smiled. **

"In that case, let me offer you a special treat of my own." Kaiba placed his briefcase over the table and took out a Duel Disk from it and handed it to Kei.

"What the hell is this thing?" Said Kei very intrigued about the funny looking contraption.

"It's my latest invention. I call it the Duel Disk System. I'm sure you will come to appreciate it, as it is a more proper setting than a game table." To prove his point he placed a card on the disk and let it spin on the floor to reveal immediately the three-dimensional image of his gigantic and snarling monster.

"Incredible… these things really 'do' make the monsters come to life." She exclaimed in awe. Yugi and the others looked at the girl in surprise. She was an excellent duelist yet she had never played the game with holographic enhancers before. 

"I see that my little toy has manage to impress you." Kaiba exclaimed proudly. He was thinking of the girl for a moment to look somewhat cute in her ignorance but he refused quickly to keep indulging himself with such thoughts. Sympathy was for the weak-minded and had no place in his world. 

"I'll be glad to let you keep it as souvenir… if you happen to win, that is." There was a hidden catch in Kaiba's words as Kei instantly deciphered that a bet had been established.

"And if 'you' win?" She asked with mistrust yet brave enough to take any risk.

"Then I will reserve the right for you to ever face Yugi Mutou in a duel." He smirked.

"Deal!" She gave her direct answer with speed and confidence before placing her deck on her dueling disk. Both duelists moved away from each other and the crowd, placing themselves into proper dueling positions.

 _"Isn't there something we can do to stop this, Yami?"_ Yugi made the silent plea to his partner yet Yami only crossed his arms over his chest and stood by, doing nothing to stop them.

_"Sorry aibou… but this matter has long since fallen from being any of our business." _Said flatly the spirit.__

_"But this isn't fair! She doesn't have to fight Kaiba! She and I can play against whomever we well damn please!"_ Yugi complained very annoyed.

_"You are absolutely right… however… you forget that facing Kaiba was her choice not yours."_

_"But still…how can she win against him?" _Yugi exclaimed a little saddened.

_"If there is one thing I have learned from you Yugi, is that a strong will and a good heart can go far beyond any expectation. Let us just wait a see what the outcome of this duel will be."_ Yami's words managed to silence his light, but still Yugi prayed for this game not to end in tragedy. 

"Well then, lets get this show started, should we?" Said Kei bravely and ready to begin.

"I play this card, The Mysterious Lady of the Forrest, in defense mode!" As soon as the disk touched the ground the figure of a beautiful woman dressed like some damsel from a fairytale materialized before their eyes. Because she was in defense mode, the woman had dropped one knee to the ground and had joined her hands together as in prayer.   

"Is that it? I should have expected a girl to have her deck full of cute little cards." Said Kaiba to taunt her into getting angry, however, Kei kept her calm posture.

"It takes more than strength to win in a duel Kaiba. You should have learned that long ago after losing against someone like Yugi." She attended to hit a vulnerable nerve with that little comeback and she succeeded.

_"I'll make you eat your words you insolent little brat!"_ Kaiba cursed silently without giving her the pleasure of his discontent.

"Brave words little girl… Lets just see how you stand against this card. I call upon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, in attack mode!" As the magnificent beast raged forward into reality all the students cowered away from the fierce creature. Everyone had been effectively intimidated by his ferocious looking dragon except for the King of Games and his female opponent.    

_"I'm impressed… most duelist quaver at the sight of my Blue-Eyes…"_ Thought Kaiba admiring her bravery before ordering his attack.

"Blue Eyes… attack with your white lightning!" The dragon came close to Kei's lady and grumbled but did not attack. 

"What's wrong with you dragon? I said attack!" He repeated angrily the command to the disobedient beast with no effect. 

"Don't waste your breath… Don't you know by now that your dragon can't attack my Lady!" Kei announced. The dragon began to quiet down and relax before their eyes.

"Impossible! How are you able to do this?" Kaiba exclaimed.

"When placed in defense mode no animal or beast is able to resist my lady's charm." Kei said in her usual monotone tone. 

"Nonsense! I've never heard of a card with such effect!" Kaiba refuted.

"I'm not surprised." 

"And why is that?" She smiled a little. It was know Kaiba's turn to look ignorant.

"Because, like most cards in my deck, this one has never been played in a duel before." She could see that her statement had only managed to confuse more her audience, so she continued with her explanation.

"You see… Like all card games, when Pegasus release his creation into the opened marked some cards where bought by collectors only to be stored away. This card was never meant to be used in a duel yet I can see that it's effect has been programmed into your machine's data base." Kaiba's dragon had now become a harmless creature in presence of Kei's lady. At the sight of the magnificent purring creature Kei could not stop herself from stepping closer to touch the beast. She petted the dragon's head gently as if Kaiba's most feared monster were nothing but a harmless puppy.

"I must say… I knew that you had this particular monster but I never expected it to be so beautiful..." She exclaimed with veneration while Kaiba looked at her like he wanted to kill her. For the proud champion this simple gesture had been consider as the greatest insult to his carrier.

"Enjoy the moment while you still can, cause I will dispatch of that wimpy card of your soon enough." Kaiba said while biting down hard to control his raging anger. Kei noticed the dislike in Kaiba's eyes so she stopped what she was doing and went back to her previous position. 

"You are right… my lady is considerable weak against most cards… However..." She took another card from her deck.

"Because you wasted your turn in a useless attack it is now my turn to play again and I choose to play my lady in attack mode." Kaiba tensed in reaction to her move.

_"What is she doing? She can't be stupid enough to switch her card to attack mode. I can easily destroy her now in my next turn. What is she thinking?"_

Kei now continued to move with her plan.

"And to help my Lady take out your dragon I bestow upon her the power of this magic card, called the Dragon's Bane!" Yugi and some other students gasped in amazement, while Kaiba looked totally horrified. 

"No way!" He knew as well as her the effect of this particular magic card.

"Yes… When a monster burns this poisonous incense in the battle field it is hardly effective on strong monsters but for your dragon is extremely lethal." Thanks to the effect of the magic card, the Lady of the Forrest now held an incense burner in her hand, which made somewhat of a green fog around the field. The Blue-Eyes soon went to sleep and then fell apart into million little pixels as all monster did when they where destroyed.  

"No…" Kaiba gasped in disbelieve.

"I will also play this card faced down ending now my turn." Kei said flatly. She looked rather uncaring for someone who had just defeated one of Seto Kaiba's strongest and most fear monsters. Kaiba was reacting strangely as well. He began to shake in humor and then suddenly he burst out with laughter.  

"Serves me right for underestimating you woman!" He laughed some more for a few seconds and then his laughter died down to be replaced with an evil look. 

"However… You have still to pay for your insolence." He retrieved quickly his disk and placed in it another card before throwing it back.

"I call upon my Dark Clown in attack mode." Kaiba's demented clown came into creation with a sinister smile in his face. 

"Take her down…" He gave the simple and low command and his monster obeyed destroying Kei's shrieking lady in a instant.

"Your witch is no more… as well as your poison… So what else do you got up your sleeve?" He said smugly to his opponent and Kei smiled back with same sentiment. 

The duel continued with intense ferocity as both players where incredibly skilled in figuring out moves and comebacks. They where putting quite a demonstration for Yugi and the other students as they used cards and combinations they had never even though about before that day.

Kei kept using mostly effect and magic cards, which made Kaiba, think that she really didn't possess any strong monsters in her deck, so he figured that by calling upon his strongest monster, The Ultimate Blue-Eyes White Dragon, he would win the match for sure.

_"Go ahead and make your move woman, for it will be your last," _thought Kaiba, as he waited for Kei's to make her next move. He had two of his Blue-Eyes in the field at the moment and he had just eliminated the strongest monster she had ever placed on the field.  

"What's wrong little girl? Scared to make your next move?" Kaiba snarled with impatience while Kei was looking calmly at the cards in her hand.  

"You have failed to intimidate me before Kaiba. What makes you think that I would be scared now that I am sure to win?" Kei declared seriously but Kaiba was not impressed. 

"That's not what the score says…" He snickered with confidence.

"No… but that is what my cards tell me. Or do you forget that I still have a card placed facing down." Kei had kept a card facing down for some time and this had made Kaiba very nervous at first but as the match went on, he concluded that she might have just placed the annoying card for that precise purpose and nothing more.

"You are bluffing! If that card had been any good against my dragons you would have used it up by now."

"Still, I am so sure of my coming victory that I am whiling to offer you a draw."

"A draw?" This turn of events took everyone by surprise including Yami/Yugi.

"That's right! If we were to declare a draw now that the score is tied, then we could both walk out of here without losing face." Yami gave Kei credit for choosing this course of action when he, himself had not though about it before. It was his opinion that both duelists where equally matched, although, he had noticed some restrain on the girl's behave.

"What the hell are you saying? There has never been a draw establish in a duel. When playing Duel Monsters, you either win or louse. There is no other choice!" Kaiba spited furiously. He was tired of the girl's unpredictable efforts to win. She was making him look like a foolish amateur. 

"I beg to differ… where I come from, a draw brings more honor to a duelist than even a flawless victory. A true duelist recognizes that just one triumph or one defeat accounts for nothing as both, in life are equally possible… It takes more character for a duelist to admit that his skill is equal to another, than to admit defeat." Kaiba could not believe the girl was lecturing him. 

"You can keep your foolish sense of honor as well as your speeches little girl! I'm not falling for anymore of your tricks." He mocked her without any empathy. 

"I am not trying to trick you, you ungrateful fool!" It was the first time that she had shown so much sentiment when speaking. Apparently, she had been very offended by his words, and was now also showing some sadness as she continued to speak.

"What I'm offering to you here is a priceless gift. I understand that my offer is hard to accept for I myself have never accepted a draw before or had ever offered to pledge one with another duelist." Her confession moved Yugi and Yami's heart. They believe that her words were sincere and not easily spoken. 

"I know that it is no easy thing to do… yet I ask you to reconsider." She pleaded but her plea seemed to fall in dead ears as Kaiba looked dreadfully unaffected. 

"I do know who you are Seto Kaiba… you have yet to know who I am but I know you very well. I have admired your carrier for quite some time. Think about it! How else could I have known what cards you would play?" Kaiba didn't even flinched at her words yet in his chest he felt an ache, like something old pulling at his heart. 

"Please… accept my offer… I don't wish to end this match with you as my enemy." Kaiba let himself be overwhelmed by dark aura of negativity.  He had accepted in some way his inferiority to Yugi and Pegasus but only because Yami had made specifically clear that they possessed the unfair advantage of the power of the millennium items. There was no chance in hell that his pride would let him recognize this lowly amateur, this girl, to be his equal.      

"My enemy you are… as well as any other duelist who thinks that he can match me in a duel. Now… either play your next card or forfeit the match." He declared his decision with unnerving calmness and a disturbing low tone of voice. Kei closed her eyes in disappointment and hurt before making her play.

"I play this card, The Nameless Knight, in defense mode." She announced nonchalantly before throwing her disk. A bright and shining armored young man came into creation. Kaiba knew perfectly well that with the knight having so low defense points he could easily wipe him out with his two dragons. However, because she had placed him in defense mode that meant that he could use the opportunity to do as he had planned. By this time Kaiba didn't just wanted to win, he wanted to crush her like an insect. 

"Then I play my Mystical Elf. With her power I can call forward a monster from the graveyard, and guess which one I want?"

_"His going to call on his third Blue-Eyes."_ Yugi and Yami said at the same time realizing what Kaiba had planned. 

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon you took from me at the beginning of the match. Not only that, but also, with the power of this polarization card, I will combine my dragons to create an even greater monster, The Ultimate Blue-Eyes White Dragon." The monstrosity of Kaiba's tree-headed dragon was beyond believed. Kei looked with awe at the overwhelming presence of such frightening yet magnificent beast and prepared herself for what was coming.

"Ultimate Dragon… eliminate her nameless knight with your white lightning!" The dragon released his fury upon the knight, covering everything and everyone in reach with the resulting debris. Kaiba stood confident and steady as well as Yugi/Yami waiting for the dust to subside. 

"You are so predictable…" Kei announced just before the field could be seen clearly. Her knight remained in the field intact and radiating with new gained power,

"What's this?" Kaiba was the only one to say this out loud, but in reality everyone was troubled by the same question. 

"That is the effect of my Drain Card... This rare magic card allows my monster to counter an attack by absorbing its energy and adding it as a bonus to his attack points. And as you must know… the stronger the attack, the stronger my monster becomes."

_"I see… That's why she didn't use the card before." _Yugi exclaimed silently to his Yami.

_"Indeed… She was waiting for Kaiba to call upon his strongest monster to gain the more power." _Yami commented back to his partner while Kaiba only laughed once more at her futile intents to gain the upper hand.

"But your plan failed… Your knight is still no match for the supreme power of my dragon." He announced with arrogance and Kei frowned in return.

"Not yet… but once I play this card…" She took a card from her hand showed and it to Kaiba before placing it on the disk. It was an accessory card that had a drawing of two golden wings.

_"That card only gives the gift of flight. What good can that be to her knight?" _Kaiba questioned feeling unnerved by her confidence.

"With this new set of wings my knight remains nameless no more! Behold his true form!" She announced, as her knight was enfolded in bright golden light and be transformed into armored angel with long blond hair and a radiating presence.

 "He is now The Archangel Michael… better know as, The Dragon Slayer." Kaiba knew very well the existence of this monster, yet he could not believe this girl had summoned him as well as he could not believe his eyes when he was face to face with Yugi's unstoppable Exodia. This angel had the ability to weaken any dragons attack power by half, and now with his actual empowered state, he could very well be recognized as the perfect nemesis to his Ultimate Dragon's.

"Attack…" Kei gave the simple command and the powerful angel materialized a large lance made out of sunlight and launched himself with it towards the mighty dragon, ramming it trough his heart. The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon gave out a loud cry before he was shockingly destroyed, along with his master's remaining life point. The duel was finally over, and Kaiba had lost.

TBC

**Blue: **_~comes out of the bathroom wearing only towel. ~ _**"Yami, could you please leave for a moment? I have to get dress."**

**Yami Blue: **_~ignores her completely and keeps reading his book. ~_

**Blue: **_~glares at her annoying partner and repeats the request. ~_** "Yami please, I have no time for your tantrums now, my friends will be here any minute!"**

**Yami Blue: **~looks at her with resentment for some unknown reason to her. ~** "If you are in such a hurry to waste your time with those mindless idiots then you can find another place to groom yourself."**

**Blue: **_~fumes with anger. ~_** "But this is my room!"**

**Yami Blue: **_~ cares nothing for her tone and keeps reading. ~_****

**Blue: **_~ begins to dress up quickly and none caringly. ~_

**Yami Blue: **~ when he realizes what she was doing, he looked up but only got to see her bra before she covered up with a T-shirt. ~

**Blue: **_~catches Yami looking at her and leaves the room angrily slamming the door shut on her way out. ~_

Yami Blue: _~grunts and mumbles some more in the now empty room after realizing that his hikari had managed to cause him a nosebleed. ~_"Damn woman, has no shame…"


	5. The heart of the cards?

**Blue: **_~frowns at the screen~ _**"I don't know if this happens to any of you other Fanfiction.net writers out there but every time I download a new chapter it comes out all wrong, like for example: there is no space at the beginning of the first line, or the aliment changes, or the letter turns from normal to bold. It drives me nuts! Why can this stuff just appear as it does in my PC?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~rolls up his eyes in annoyance. ~ _**"Do you have to say something before and after every damn chapter? Just get on with the stupid story already!"**

**Blue: **_~big anime sweat drop appears in her forehead. ~_** "Look who's talking." **_~looks at her Yami more carefully. ~** "Is there something troubling you Yami?"**_

**Yami Blue: **~looks at her sheepishly. ~**"Why do you ask?"**

**Blue: **_~turns to look directly at him with some worry. ~ _**"I don't know… You've been acting kind of weird lately."**

**Yami Blue: **_~grunts out petulantly. ~ _**"Don't you mean more annoying than usual?"**

**Blue: **_~surprises her dark half by turning away from the computer to talk to him. ~ _**"Yeah… but that's only part of it. You have been also very restless… I have even seen you saddened sometimes."**

**Yami Blue: **~becomes somewhat nervous, so he throws himself back on the bed, with his hands behind his head and tries to change the subject. ~ **"Just because I don't act like your goofy brainless little friends it doesn't mean that there is something wrong with me. Besides, how I feel is not of your business!"**

**Blue: **~turns deeply sad by his harsh words. ~** "I just… never mind…" **_~takes some of her things and decides to leave Yami alone."_

**Yami Blue: **_~curses himself for making her leave and then starts to feel miserable once more. ~ _

**The Prophet**

**Chapter 5: "The Heart of the Cards?"**

By Blue

Ryou Bakura was sitting all by himself under the shadow of a big old tree while reflecting over the burden that was having his millennium ring. He understood the importance of guarding the power of the ancient artifact, but in his constant struggle with his yami he had often felt like he was carrying with that responsibility all by himself. He was tired of being bullied by practically every kid he knew at school, and now thanks to a comment made by his dark half, the thought of his friends actually making fun of him behind his back was eating him inside.

He had spaced out while looking at the dangling necklace in his hand when the sweet familiar voice of a certain new girl in his class had startled him enough to make him lose track of his toughs. 

**"Hi there…" **Ryou dropped his millennium ring to let it rest in the usual place over his chest and then looked up at the joyful face of June Hashikawa.

**"Ryou, isn't it?" **She greeted him casually but he responded with awkwardness. 

"Y-yeah…" He said very confused by the girl's presence. "Mind if I sit down?" The girl question quite directly and Ryou nodded shyly an affirmative. After his little mishap in chemistry class he had expected the girl to want nothing to do with him but now she was happily sitting at his side so they could eat lunch together. 

"Want some?" She asked while opening a white paper lunch box in front of him and taking out a strange yet nicely prepared looking treat.

"I'm really not that hungry, and I hate to waste good food." 

**"Sure… thanks…" **He answered while taking a triangular piece of pastry form her hand and blushing slightly when he brushed her fingers in the process.Before he could take a bite at his food June began to make some conversation.

"I wanted to tell you that, I'm sorry for what happened this morning." Her declaration startled him.

**"But… Why should you apologize? You did nothing wrong." **She kept smiling at him only she was now slightly looking away.

"Still… I kind of feel responsible for what happened. Those boys wouldn't have bother you if it wasn't for me." Ryou frowned in resentment. 

**"Nonsense. What happened wasn't your fault. Believe me, I know those boys… They are all just a bunch of jerks." **He said this with some anger making June jerk away from him a little. Ryou noticing her reaction felt remorse and softened his tone immediately.

**"Besides, I over reacted." **He said with some shame and then finally took a bite of the pastry. He blinked a few times in surprise for the wonderful taste in his mouth and then commented in delight.****

**"Hey! This is really good! Although, I'm still not quite sure of what it is." **June smiled at this compliment and instantly regained her easygoing mood. ****

**"It's a sandwich, silly! Only the bread is a lot thinner, and its felled with a paste instead of ingredients." **June now giggled generously as Ryou inspected the odd looking confection with nervousness.****

"Relax… It mostly blended vegetables and different kinds of cheese." She said while taking out some fruit out for her to eat.

**"Oh…" **He simply answered while smiling back at her. He then observed with curiosity the inside of her little white paper box and was surprised to see that it was filled with other bizarre yet deliciously looking treats. He guessed that the girl had either a professional cook at home or a very caring parent preparing her meals. ****

**"Wow! Your mother must be one hell of a cook!" **He said with eagerness making her blush.****

**"Oh, no… I made all this by myself.  I don't have a mother." **She declared unceremoniously and unaffectedly yet the news hit heavily the boy's heart. ****

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't---" 

**"Don't worry." **She rapidly interrupted him.****

**"I'm quite comfortable talking about it. You see, I've always been an orphan. I was found as a baby and then raised in a convent until I was 10 years old. So I never really met my real mother or father."** She confessed the sad news but with adverted cheerfulness.****

**"That's so sad…" **Ryou said feeling depress.

**"No… not really! At least, not for me." **She clarified with honesty but Ryou still could not believe that she was as well adjusted as she claimed.****

**"But… don't you miss not having parents to love you or take care of you?" **He asked, with delicacy. He was very curious about her background but he didn't want to hurt her feelings by prying too much.  Thankfully, the girl's cheerfulness seemed unshakable by even his inquisitive nature.

**"Well, you really can't miss something that you have never had. Sure I felt lonely at times but there has always been people to love and care for me." **She then took a piece of orange that she had been pealing and put it in her mouth. She stopped a moment to savor the sweet juices in her mouth and then continued to speak.

**"Right now, I live only with my older sister Kei, but I don't mind. We might not have the same blood, and we don't always agree on things but she is more that I could ever hope for in a family." **She said before continuing to enjoy her lunch. Ryou, not having any more questions to ask, remained silent after finishing his sandwich and began to observe her every move with fascination. He noticed how amazingly sweet and innocent June was. Not even his cold dark half could deny that the girl was as kind as she was beautiful. Even the soothing sound of her voice seemed to be totally untainted by deceit or even sarcasm as it placed Ryou into some kind of peaceful trance. June then stopped eating when she noticed her companion looking at her so intensively. After being caught in such an embarrassing position Ryou turned to look away immediately reddened.

**"Sorry! I didn't mean to stare." **He apologized quickly but June only smiled.****

**"Don't worry. I perfectly understand." **She said rapidly and sincerely to make him feel at ease.

**"You do!" **Ryou reddened even more.****

**"Being a foreigner, I must look so alien to every one here. I for one, have never seen a boy with long silver hair before."** She declared while at the same time leaning forward in an attempt to feel the boy's hair with a touch of her hand. Ryou unconsciously and instinctively moved away from her touch but the gesture only made her giggled some more in good humor. 

"Or be so finicky about physical contact." She laughed some more at his ashamed reaction. 

"I'm not finicky." He said softly in his defense but June didn't listen to him. She had been utterly distracted by the actions of a group of boys not to far from where they where sitting.  

**"I wonder what those kids doing?" **She commented suddenly catching Ryou's attention..

**"Hm…which ones?" **He asked while looking around but falling to find something out of the ordinary.****

**"Those kids right over there!" **She pointed out to what Ryou identified as a daily occurrence.

**"Oh… They're just having a duel." **He said flatly.****

**"A duel? With cards?" **She asked again with great intrigue and adding to Ryou confusion.****

**"Why yes… haven't you ever plaid Duel Monster before?"**

**"No… not really! But for what I have heard, it sounds like a pretty serious game." **Ryou was surprise by June's ignorance but more than happy to have something of her interest to talk about.

**"Well like all games, the fun in Duel Monsters depends on how and who you play the game with. Most good players tend to take the game very seriously. And we happened to have some of the best players in the world right at this school."**

**"Really? I didn't know that…" **She said sounding somewhat distant, as if this knowledge had raised quite a few questions in her mind.

**"Is it very difficult to learn?" **She then asked to avert her worries and continued with the conversation.

**"Not really. It all depends how good you are as a strategist. The game is quite easy once you learn the rules. The really difficult part is to arrange a strong deck. Good monster cards are hard to find and the very strong ones are extremely rare. Players use monsters to attack each other in a duel. The first player to eliminate his opponent's life points loses that duel." **After finishing his statement Ryou noticed how detached June have seemed to become. He though that maybe, after all that talking, she probably felt like she didn't belonged. That's when he came with an idea that could probably cheer her up. 

"You know… If you really want to learn how to play, I'll be more than happy to teach you." June then turned back rapidly her attention to the smiling boy and answered him with same merriment.

**"That's really sweet of you to offer but I don't think I would make a good duelist."**

**"Why do you say that?" **Ryou asked feeling somewhat disappointed. Not only did he fail to please her but he had also hoped for an excuse to keep in contact with the girl.****

**"I don't feel good when playing against other people. I am not quite the competitive type. In truth, the only cards I have ever played with before are Tarot cards… and I don't even play with those anymore."**

**"Why not?"**

**"Well… I guess that mostly because people thought it was stupid to tell someone's fortune by simply looking at small pieces of paper." **Ryou now felt compassion for the girl. He completely understood her feelings of solitude. Before he had the companion and acceptance of his friends, he had often felt exactly as she had descried.

**"Well you would be surprise of how much people respect card games get around here. I bet that some friends of mine could even teach you a few things about the Heart of the Cards." **He said with strange understanding while looking oddly away.****

**"The Heart of the Cards?" **She asked somewhat confused.****

**"Yes…" **He reclined more comfortably against the tree and then continued.****

"My friend Yugi believes that each and very card has a heart of its own… and I can't say I disagree. I know that our believes may sound ridiculous to some people but I witnessed too many amazing things to doubt in their power." After saying this Ryou kept looking dreamingly away and into the sky for a moment and then something came to June's mine that filled her content. 

**"Hey, I got an idea! If Duel Monster Cards are so important to a duelist, then I bet I can tell a persons fortune by just looking at what kind of cards they like." **Both June and Ryou seemed to sparkled with newfound excitement.****

**"Hey, that's a great idea! I bet a lot of kids would want to know what their cards tell about their future. In fact, why don't you try with mine?"**

**"You have a deck?" **She exclaimed, as if the mere fact of someone owning a deck were such a big deal.

**"Sure I do! Although, I don't consider myself that good a player. Téa doesn't play the game that much either but even she has her own deck." **After saying this Ryou place his deck of cards in her hands and she began to inspect each and everyone carefully, as if she had just been handed a precious treasure. 

"Wow… I can believe that you would trust me with your cards. My sister has a deck too but she guards hers like if they were jewels. She doesn't let me go near them much less let anyone other than herself touch them." After hearing this Ryou felt sorry for the girl once more. Sure he care a lot for his cards but he would never considerate them to be more important than his friends or family. Now more than ever he wanted to share his knowledge with June and let her enjoy the moment.  

**"Well, I sure don't mind. See this one here, it's called the Man-Eating Bug. With it you can destroy one monster on the field." **He said animatedly and she reacted very pleased.

"How interesting… Oh, I love this one! What does it do?" She asked enthusiastically while showing him a very familiar card.

"Oh, that card is especially rare. It is called The Change of Heart. It is used to take control of and opponent's monster for one turn. That is why it is called the Change of Heart." He exclaimed with adoration and June reacted by looking at him in surprise.

"And you like this card?" She asked oddly.

"Yes I do! It is actually my favorite card in the whole deck!"

"Really…" She said softly with a hint of sadness alarming Ryou somewhat.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Is just that…" She stopped in hesitation. It had been a long time since she had read someone's fortune just for the fun of it and she didn't wanted to say something that would harmed what seemed to be the start of a wonderful friendship.

  _Please don't think badly of me for what I'm about to say_… She made the silent prayer before continuing.

"You say this card is your favorite?"

"Yeah… so…" Ryou asked gently trying to contain his apprehension.

"Well, a person's favorite card can tell a lot about that person's character and fortune. For example, if these where Tarot cards and I where to tell you your fortune, I would have to say that these card's name tell not only of it's propose but of your destiny as well." At the sound of the word destiny Bakura's curiosity ignited. He had been listening to the girl and his hikari for some time but with detached interest until that moment.  

"I don't quite follow you." Ryou declared waiting for June to give a better explanation.

"You see… this card although it looks extremely gentle and beautiful, it also expresses deep sorrow. The angel in the picture is caught in between darkness and light, or good and evil, which could mean that the reason for his sadness is his constant struggle with himself… or someone else…" Ryou's eyes widen and his heart skipped a beat in fright.  

"You say that the use for this card is to change an enemy's heart?"

"Yes…" Yes he answer softly very eager for her to continue and at the same time petrified.

"Well that is your destiny…" She declared while Ryou kept looking at the card in frightful understanding.

_Could it be? _Ryou and his yami began to reflect in her words as she continued. 

"It is basically like this. The cards says that when hurting others you always end hurting yourself… that you will only be able to defeat your enemies by making them your friends. And as long as you struggle against that which is your nature, or yourself, you will remain torn apart and unhappy… just like the angel."

_"Torn apart…"_ The words kept repeating themselves in Ryou's mind.

_"And Unhappy…"_ Bakura was also affected by the girls words.

They would have probably asked June to tell them both more about what the cards told of them but then someone interrupted what they though had been a private conversation.

"Wow, that was so awesome!" Said Téa while sticking her head in between them. 

"Yeah… She sure did hit the nail with that one, didn't she?" Said Mai as she stepped closer to the two while being closely followed by her boyfriend Joey, who had a gentle arm raped around her waist.

"Oh, hi Téa!" Said June innocently and very glad to see the girl once more. Ryou on the other hand looked somewhat embarrassed to greet his friends.

"Hi guys! How long have been standing there?" Asked the white haired boy sheepishly while scratching nervously the back of his head.

"Long enough… " Mai declared with a smirk. It was clearly obvious for everyone but June that the boy was infatuated with her. Not wanting to make his embarrassment any greater Mai then continued to speak in a more casual manner.

"Téa told us what happened this morning, so we set out to look for you." Mai explained plainly to Ryou.

"Thanks guys, but I'm fine, really!" Said Ryou glad for the caring actions of his friends but finding their presence to be deeply uncomfortable at the moment. Joey, not being one to miss the opportunity to make fun of his currently single friends began to tease him.

"I would say more than just fine. Why you are practically red as a tomato. I bet you are just dying for us to leave so you can be alone with---ouch!" He coughed out in pain as Mai interrupted him by hitting him in the stomach with her elbow. She then continue to speak in a friendly tone. 

"What my darling yet totally inappropriate boyfriend was trying to say is that we would like for you to introduce this new friend of yours, if you don't mind?" Said Mai with her charming yet somewhat disturbing exaggerated cheerfulness. 

"Oh, I'll be glad to! June Hashikawa… this is Mai Valentine and Joey Wheeler. Two very good friends of mine and excellent duelists." Ryou said while June directed herself to shake each student hand.

"Pleased to meet you… Oh I remember you! You were one of the boys fighting in the hallway this morning, weren't you?" June asked with humor while Mai looked angrily at her boyfriend for his childish and inappropriate behavior.

"Oh… yeah…well… I hope we didn't give you a bad impression, or anything." Joey tried to apologize nervously.

"Actually, I just thought it was very funny." The cheery girl declared while looking at the couple.

"Say June… We all have a favorite card too. If we show them to you would you tell us our future as well?" Téa asked quickly wanting to change the topic of conversation to one of her interest.

"Of course! It would be my pleasure!" June declared while smiling joyfully at her new friends. She never expected to any friends on her first day at school, and now, after meeting such wonderful and interesting people she though that nothing could go wrong. But unfortunately something always did go wrong.  

"Hey, everyone come quick!" The group heard a kid called out in general.

"A girl just defeated Seto Kaiba in a duel! And now she is going to duel against Yugi Mutou!" June reacted with some alarmed but not as nearly as alarmed as the others. Joey rapidly went to grab the kid who had shouted the news and began to harshly demand for more information.

"Wait just a minute pal… what do you mean Kaiba has been defeated? And who is this girl you speak of?" The kid looked nervously at the face of the boy who had grabbed him by the collar of uniform. He knew the boy had a reputation of being some kind of delinquent, so he tried to answer his questions as quickly as possible.

"I--- I don't know her name, but she has long dark hair, creepy red eyes and she uses cards that no one has ever seen before!" June then dropped the fruit she had been holding in her and exhaled with dread the name of her sister. 

"Oh no, Kei!" She said before jumping on her feet and running without delay or explanting in the direction that all the others students were running toward. 

"June?" Ryou called out before going after her.

"Hey, wait for us!" Called out the others before following suit.

TBC

**Blue: **_~enters her bedroom to find her Yami asleep in her bed. ~  _**"Yami?"**

**Yami Blue: **_~snores softly while looking as innocent as a child. ~_

**Blue: **_~smiles at him and decides to let him sleep and goes to her computer.~ _**"Thank you for reading my story so far. There is more to come soon I promise. Please don't forget to place your review." **_~turns off her computer before going to bed to sleep next to her beloved dark half. ~ _


	6. Do you have any idea of what you have do...

**Blue: _~ wakes up, thanks to a beeping sound coming from her computer, to find herself laying on the bed with an arm draped over the chest of her sleeping Yami. ~  _****"What the?" _~ she says in surprise before moving quietly away in embarrassment towards her computer to continue uploading new chapters. ~_**

**Yami Blue: _~ turns his back on his hikari and keeps pretending to be sleep. ~ "Damn machine…why can there by a power surge or something… "_ _~ He says silently to himself in disappointment. ~_**

**Blue: _~ continues on with her work totally oblivious. ~_**

The Prophet 

**Chapter 6: "Do you have any idea of what you have done?"**

**By Blue**

**"Here… it is yours… as we agreed." Said Seto Kaiba in between teeth while handling Kei Hashikawa her price.**

**"Thank you… You where right. It is a lot better than a game table." She complimented nonchalantly while taking the Duel Disk Ssystem from his hands. Kaiba turned his back on her in disgust but before he could leave, Kei felt the need to say something more to her defeated challenger.**

**"And ****Kaiba****?" She called him back and he stopped for a second on his tracks.**

**"My name is Kei… not little girl. You should do well and remember it." If all the hate in the world could be characterize and contain in human body it would be name Seto Kaiba. Never in his life had he been so humiliated, so mortified by such an insignificant person as this girl. His mouth didn't outer any words by his eyes spoke of horrors and terrible things to come. The crowd of students parted rapidly out of Kaiba's way but still he stumble upon the figure of an unidentified student who had been approaching the large group in a hurry. Their contact had been only a quick meaningless mishap but in had been enough for June to get a terrible vision from it. She saw some sporadic quick images of the duel that had just transpired, also what seemed to be flashes of red light upon her face, and then finally what seemed to be sprayed blood over her hands.  **

**"Big sister…" She gasped in fright for her sister. What was the meaning of her vision? Who could that boy that passed by her be? So many questions, so many fear in just a split of a second. While she recovered from the shock of her premonition her new friends, Téa, Ryou, Joey and Mai managed to reach her and arrived to join the group of students. Before any of them could say something to June. Tristan arrived as well at the scene and greeted his friends.  **

**"Hey, guys! What's going on?" He asked openly to his friends and his other fellow students, but it was Yami/Yugi who answered the question,**

**"Kaiba has just been defeated by the new student." He stated seriously from just a few steps away.**

**"Holly shit! Then it is true!" Joey exclaimed in surprise before the others followed suit with comments of their own.**

**"No way!" Exclaim Tristan.******

**"I can believe it!" Say Téa while coming closer to Yami/Yugi.******

**"I can't believe we miss it." Mai added with a hint of bitterness in her voice. It was true that the self-important jerk was always bothering her boyfriend with his little dog nicknames and other insults, but still Mai could not deny her admiration for Kaiba's superior ability as duelist. She and the others looked at Yami/Yugi with disturbed expressions while Kei only wondered why they were overreacting. **

**"I don't understand… what's all the fuss about?" She addressed the question to Ryou.**

**"She just defeated the Duel Monster's world champion in front of the entire school." Ryou explained. **

**"You mean the former world champion! I think that title now belongs to our friend Yugi here." Joey corrected.******

**"That may be so… but even I was shock by the outcome of this duel." Said Yami dispassionately to his friends, before Téa added with some admiration.**

**"Wow… she must be an exceptional kind of duelist to be able to defeat Kaiba." Tés exclaimed. The fact was that the girl did stand out in a crowd. The were student all around her asking questions and praising her but she didn't seemed to care for any of it. The girl Kei just kept walking towards Yugi and his friends waving at the others to back away and leave her in peace.**

**"Kei…" June tried to greet her sister but she found no strength to speak loudly. Kei noticed her sister's but she dismissed her presence as well as the other students around her. She just wanted to say what she needed to say to Yugi before leaving for her classroom.**

**"Sorry Yugi… But this victory has soured my taste for this game. I don't think I will be dueling against you or anyone else for a while." She said somewhat bitterly.******

**"I understand…" Yami answered. **

**"But just so you know… My offer is still open, whenever you wish to take it." He added with smile and stretching out his hand as a friendly gesture.**

**"Thanks you..." Kei shook his hand and smiled a little smile. She felt glad for the first time since the duel with Kaiba had started.******

**"That means a lot me." She thanked him respectfully and then walked away towards the school building.******

**"Wait Sis!" Kei called out before going after her sister and leaving her friends behind once more. **

**"Sis?" Téa asked her friends to confirm what she had just heard.******

**"Sister? You mean that girl is Kei's sister?" Yami/Yugi outer in incredulity.******

**"But, aren't we all in the same grade?" Tristan wondered.******

**"Yeah… besides they look nothing alike!" Said Joey in great disbelief. Ryou looked at all of then with a tired expression. **

**"Don't worry, I can explain everything." He assured his friends before he began to tell them all he knew about her.**

Meanwhile, the two girls in question were discussing in one of the schools temporally desolated hallways away from everyone.****

**"Go to your class June, I'm not in the mood to talk right now." Kei called out to the sister she had been trying to evade but was still following her around.******

**"Did know who that boy was?" June asked. Her tone of voice was really out of character as the question was meant with admonishment.**

"Of course…" Kei responded calmly, 

**"But… Do you have any idea of what you have done? We can't attract this kind of attention, Kei!" June pronounce with some anger.**

**"Don't you think I know that?" Kei said coolly but she was starting to lose her patience as her sister continued to speak to her in a reproaching tone.**

**"Then why did you do it? Couldn't you just let him win? Why did you have to fight him in the first place?" June's become loud but nt as loud Kei's as she turned to speak to her face to face.******

**"Because that's the way I am!" She said with spite but at the sight of her sister frightful reaction she softened fairly her tone.******

**"I've done all that I can to protect us June, but I cannot hide from who I am… I refuse to coward away from anyone, especially from a rotten little rich boy who thinks he can put everyone down just because he happens to come from money." June frown at her sister word.******

**"Why not?**** You, yourself were like that once." She said coldly and with some resentment while looking away.******

**"The more reason for me to prove him wrong…" That comment had hurt Kei feelings but she didn't aloud her sister to notice it.**

"If you don't understand why I duel June, then that's fine. I have never needed anyone's support… but I do need to trust me. Don't worry about me. I know what I am doing." 

**"I trust you Kei…" June said to her sister in form of an apology.  Kei then caress her braid briefly in affection and left for her classroom leaving her behind.**

**"I'm just scared…" June then said to no one. She was all alone in the hallway, as well as she was all alone with her secrets,**

A few hours later, came finally the time for all students to leave for their homes. Kei found her little sister June just outside the school gate talking to some friends while waiting for her arrival. She approached her with a little more ease, now that she had forgotten most of her tension. ****

** "So… are you ready to head home?" She asked her casually.******

"Well…" June answered her timidly before Téa stepped in to speak for her. "Actually, we were wondering if you and June would like to join us for some pizza." The girl said with great enthusiasm before Kei could digest the words. Yami then stepped forward as well to explain more in detail. 

**"My grandpa owns a game shop not to far from here and we where planning to spend some time there and order food in." Kei smiled modestly at yami/Yugi but declined the invitation with some sadness.  **

**"I appreciate the offer but I have a previous appointment to attend. Maybe some other time." Yami/Yugi and the others were surprised and disappointed by her decision but didn't stop Ryou to invite June from his part. **

**"What about you, June? Will you come?" June looked uncertainly at her sister.**

**"Is that ok?" Kei nodded slightly in reply.**

**"Sure… go ahead and have fun. I'll see you later at home, ok?" Kei then left without saying another word as if she were in a hurry. June and company began to walk away as well, wedn suddenly she stopped after noticing that her sister wasn't walking in towards the right direction.**

_"That's not the way home… where is Kei going?"_ June wondered.

**"June, are you coming?" Ryou questioned after noticing that she had stopped following them.**

**"Just a second…" She called out while running to her sister.**

**"Kei… Where are you going?" June asked quickly and Kei answered.**

**"I though I could do some things before I went home." She said indifferently.**

**"Will you go to see the kids?" Kei now exhaled sharply in annoyance.******

**"Maybe…"**

**"Then I am going with you!" She declared all of the sudden and Kei rapidly contradict her decision.******

**"No you're not!" Kei could tell that her tone had been too harsh, and that she had attracted a lot of unwanted attention from various students including June's newfound friends.**

**"Look, I told you to have fun and I meant it! You can't hang around me all the time!" Kei tried to apologize but her word still held some tension. **

**"I'm sorry sis… I understand that you need your space and all is just that… I worry sometimes, you know?" June looked up at her sister with what Kei called her sorry puppy eyes look and felt great affection for the girl she had learned to call her sister. Her features lessen and her smile widen at the sight of her cuteness.******

**"I know… That's exactly why I want you to spend sometime with your friends. You don't have to worry about me or anything else anymore, you understand?" She then to the surprise and shock of most everyone, Kei gave June half an embrace, and then a quick peck on the lips.**

_"Ahhhh…"_** Every witness cried silently in unison and utter horror. Even Yami and Bakura were embarrassed to see such demonstration of affection between two girls.**

**"Oh, Kei you shouldn't have done that!" June said quickly in but no backing away.**

"These people are not use to this kind of casualness between sisters. What would they think of us?" Kei only smiled at her sister's embarrassment. 

**"You think I care…" She declared with playfulness making June happy and relax.******

**"I promise I won't stay out too late, ok! Now go on… I think your friends are waiting for you." She said with humor when she looked at their direction and noticed their different reactions of discomfiture.  **

"Ok…" June kissed back quickly before taking off. "Take care, ok!" She called out while running away and waving goodbye and Kei waved back at her. "Yeah… You too…" She said silently to herself before setting off to walk in the opposite direction. As the burnet walked away without care or worry, she failed to notice a certain someone who had been watching her from the comfortable and discreetly from the back seat of a lugubrious black car. "Do you fancy this girl master?" The driver asked curiously to his young employer. 

**"I fancy her demise, Harold…" Kaiba declared to his chauffeur with a low unfeeling voice.******

**"I want a full report on whatever you can find about this girl's backroom by tonight. I want to know why I've never heard of this duelist before." Kaiba gave his instructions while trying to come up with a plan to retaliate. **

**"I'll see to it Sir." His servant responded humbly**** before setting the car in motion to drive his master home.**

TBC

**Blue: _~ finishes to type chapter 6 before yawning and turning off the computer. ~ _****"Man I am beat! What about you Yami? Are you ready to go back to the shadow realm?" ~waits for a response~**** "Yami?"**

**Yami Blue: ~ snores softly from her bed now really asleep. ~**

**Blue: _~ shakes him a little too harshly while pleading tiredly. ~ _****"Come on Yami… You know you can't stay here all night. What if my mother sees you…"**

**Yami Blue: ~ still in a daze dream state, tries to calm down his unidentified attacker by reaching out to grab her. ~**

**Blue: ~ realizes what particular part of her upper body he unconsciously just grabbed and goes berserk with embarrassment. ~  ****"Ahhh!!! Let go of my breast you pervert!!!"**

**Yami Blue: _~ wakes up fully in horror and banishes himself to the shadow realm before saying anything. ~_**

**Blue and Yami Blue: _~ stay up all night breathing heavily stressing about what the other must feel after what happened. ~_**


	7. Isn't that what we always say to people?

**Blue: _~it is the day before Christmas and she is smiling with great anticipation. ~_ ****"Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all get nice presents tomorrow and get to spend a happy day with your friends and loved ones."**

**Yami Blue: _~stands next to her with a frown in his face and his arms crossed over his chest. ~ _****"Humbug…" _~he whispers to himself in annoyance. ~_**

**Blue: _~hears what her yami just said and recognizes it to be exactly what the character scrooge use to say about Christmas in the movie A Christmas Carol. ~ _ ****"Humbug?" _~ she laughs a little in amusement. ~_ ****"Do you even know what that word means?"**

**Yami Blue: _~feels pretty much like the old man in the movie he was watching earlier when people made fun of him for not liking the ridiculous holiday. ~ _****"Not really… but I do understand the sentiment."**

**Blue: _~ thinks of his yami to be a lost cause, but still she tries to be polite. ~ _****"Just go watch the rest of the movie and we'll talk later ok! Right now I wish to finish this chapter."**

**Yami Blue: _~ gestures with a jump of his shoulders and goes away uncaringly. ~_******

**The Prophet**

**Chapter 7: "Isn't that what we always say to people?"**

**By Blue**

Téa, Mai and June where sitting on the floor around the coffee table of Yugi's living room, while laughing and playing around with their Duel Monster cards. June was holding Téa's favorite card The Magician of Faith and reading out her fortune while the other two girls listened with great interest.

"Well by your card I can tell that you are very supportive of your friends as well as your dreams. You have a very clear vision of what you want to become in the future and you are not afraid to follow your convictions." Téa a blinked a few times before blurting out her amazement. 

**"Holy cow, that was awsome!" The boys were now entering the living room to join up with the tree girls, wend they heard her Téa's declaration. **

**"What was?" Tristan asked. He and the others boys had been in the next room using the phone to order the food. They were now eager up to join in the conversation and to find out what the girls had been doing while they were away.******

**"June can tell a duelist personality and future by looking at his favorite cards." Téa explained to the boys.**

**"It's like reading out people's fortune. I guess you could say it's only a simple party trick but she's actually very good at it." Mai said to her boyfriend Joey in a mocking way, as if he needed more explanation than the others.******

**"Really… What did she say about you Mai?" Joey tried to tease her back but she only responded smugly.**

**"I gave her my Harpy Lady and she told me that people often shy away from me because of my strong character and remarkable good looks." Every boy sweat-dropped at her egotism before Téa spoke again.  **

**"That's not all she said." Joey caught on Téa's mocking tone and asked quickly.******

**"Oh yeah, what else?" His question was directed to Mai but Téa answered for her.******

"That she acts arrogant and defensive only because she is afraid of getting hurt." Mai blushed a little as the boys began to sigh in awe and amusement. 

**"Aw… That's so sweet!" Joey said softly to her ear in a teasing undermining way while Mai took the opportunity to pull him closer making him fall down to the floor next to her.******

**"If you think my fortune was so amusing then why don't you try it, lover?" Joey's glared at his girlfriend in annoyance. Not only couldn't Mai take a joke but she also liked to embarrass him in front of his friend by calling him corny pet names.**

**"Sure, why not… Here is my card June, The Flame Swordsman." Joey said while handling June his monster card.******

**"Wow… a samurai, how cool!" She said with amazement elevating Joey's ego instantly.******

**"Yeah, I'm cool!" Joey said proudly while the others sweat-dropped again.******

"She meant the card stupid." Tristan rapidly made clear to his bigheaded friend. 

**"Oh! Yeah, I knew that!" Said Joey after realizing his mistake and trying to dismiss his discomfiture.**

**"Anyway, what can you tell us about Joey's card June?" Ryou asked the girl while sitting next to her. Yugi, who was now in control of his body while Yami rested in his soul room, came to sit next to Téa making her a little nervous by their closeness.**

"Well, because the samurai is such an honorable warrior I would have to say that you have a high sense of honor yourself, Joey. You stick strongly to your values… and you're very protective of your friends and loved ones… but you must be careful with your tamper. You might hurt someone dear to you with that strong pride of yours." 

**"You don't say…" Téa snickered with evil intent making Tristan flinch in response. Joey only stared back at her defiantly.******

**"Watch it…" He said in warning but his girlfriend's ways rapidly shut down his defensiveness,**

**"Oh, don't be so grouchily honey, you know she speaks the truth." Mai said tenderly while pinching his cheek and caressing his head affectingly.**

_"Now this could get very interesting."_** Yugi and Yami though in unison while admiring June's little game.******

"Say June! Why don't you tell Tristan's fortune next? I bet he's dying to know!" Said Yugi cheerfully when in reality it was more likely that every one else but him was eager to know what she would say.

**"Go ahead June… here is my favorite card. It's called the Cyber Commander." Tristan took out his card and gave it to June.**

**"Ok… Hm… Your monster looks like some kind of war hero… so you must be the kind of person who's not afraid of any confrontation. You are a high-achiever, go-getter kind of guy who always rise to the challenge and is well known for his accomplishments. As a friend you are a very reliable person to have around, but you often feel the need for recognition as well as support from your friends." After June finished her reading the room fell silent for a moment making her uncomfortable.**

**"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" She asked worriedly.******

**"On the contrary, I think you were very precise." Said Yugi.**

**"Yeah… you described Tristan perfectly." Téa added before Joey burst out with a declaration.**

**"Ok… ok… I admit it! I was jealous, ok!" Said Joey to Tristan in the form of an apology.**

**"You what?" Tristan asked flabbergasted by his friend sudden outburst.******

**"I shouldn't have said all that stuff about you not being good enough for Serenity and I am sorry, ok!"**

**"Who's Serenity?" June whispered to Ryou.******

"Joey's little sister." Ryou whispered back.

**"Is that why they were fighting this morning in the hallway?" She asked once more and Ryou nodded in return, while Joey continued to apologize in the background. **

**"You have always been a good friend to me, and I should be happy that my sister likes you." Joey declared sincerely but Tristan didn't seem satisfied with his friend apology.******

**"Then why aren't you?" Tristan asked. **

**"Because… when I was little Serenity was like, the person I cared most about in the world and she was taken from me by my own mother no less." Joey paused a moment before continuing his declaration with some sadness.******

"And now that she is finally back into my life and you started dating her I felt like she was being taken away from me all over again." Everyone in the room looked at Joey with great sympathy. Tristan was about to say something to his depressed friend but then Joey began to speak again. 

"I knew she had to find a boyfriend some day… and that I would resent him eventually for some reason… I just didn't wanted it to be you. You're my best friend." Tristan was moved to tears and so were most of his other friends after he grabbed Joey's head in a headlock with immense familiarity and affection.

**"So are you, knuckle-head." Tristan said tenderly while messing his hair and laughing fondly. They had both finally resolved their differences, but it seemed there was still someone in the room who had some issues to resolve with the two boys as she promptly stood up to hit each one of them over the head.**

**"Ouch!" Tristan and Joey cried in agreement.******

**"Téa! What's the big idea?" Joey demanded for an explanation, which she complied heatedly.******

**"You two are a couple of jerks, you know that! Do you have any idea of the aggravation you have put us through? The next time you idiots have a big fight over something as stupid as this I'm going kick both your asses, you hear me!" Everyone in the room look terrified at a pest off Téa wend suddenly June burst out with spontaneous laughter.**

**"You guys are a riot!" She said between laugh making Mai and the boys laughed at Téa. Téa joined them as well as she realized how silly she must have looked.******

**"Hey… you still haven't told Yugi's fortune." Mai commented.******

**"Hey, that's right! It's Yugi's turn." Téa exclaimed with excitement. She was very eager to hear what she would say about the boy.******

**"Oh. I don't know you guys…" Yugi said timidly. **

**"Oh, come on, Yugi. It's all in good fun." Tristan and Ryou said in support.**

"Yeah Yug, give her your Dark Magician! Everyone knows that's your favorite card." Joey also urged him, feeling very curious.

_"Go ahead aibou." Said Yami silently to his partner._

"_I am very curious to know what she'll say." Yami insisted and Yugi complied with his request._

**"Ok… here you go June." June took gladly the card in her hands and began to inspect it meticulously. **

How curious…this magician has the face of boy yet his eyes and expression are as cold as those of a grown man. This card has the same duality as Bakura's Change of Heart only in this one the two opposite forces work together as a team. This harmony make him strong…no, more than just strong it makes him very powerful… powerful enough to… 

For the second time in that day June had a vision. It had only been pieces and bits of quick images as always, but some stuff did come out clearly this time. She had seen herself kneeling before some sort of king or ruler inside what seem to be a grand Egyptian throne room.   And she had felt the painful sting of pressing metal cutting at her wrists, like if her hands had been bound strongly together. 

She also saw a short pursuit of armored royal guards from the same era following some sort of thief through the market place.

She was very confused by this vision as she rarely had vision of herself in ancient times.

**"So…" Yugi asked wondering why she had been stalling when she had been very quick to tell the other's fortune.**

"**June?" Ryou call out to her softly and somewhat worried.******

**"Hm? Oh! Sorry guys. I was just admiring Yugi's card. He's magician is quite… interesting." She said trying to act casual and unaffected before she continued to tell Yugi's fortune.__**

**"Anyway, here is what I see Yugi… Although you are somewhat pure and innocent at heart, you are very attracted to nature's dark side. It is no coincidence that you like riddles and mystery… that is because you were born with an innate ability for solving problems… you're destined to become a man of great importance in this world, as there will be great challenges laid before you… but in order for you to succeed you have to strengthen your confidence in yourself, and be willing to take some chances." June finished her reading of Yugi's fortune and the room fell silent for a moment once more.**

**"Wow…" Yugi exclaimed softly while the others looked at each other in secret understanding.**** June noticed with some discomfort how she had made everyone tense and felt the need to apologize.**

"I am sorry…" She said a little saddened and everyone jumped in to chase away her fears. 

**"Oh No please…" **Yugi said.****

"Don't be sorry…" Said Mai. 

**"You got us all wrong…" **Said Téa.****

"Yeah, your readings are great!" Said Tristan. 

**"Yeah, very impressive." **Said Yugi.****

**"Is just that Yugi's was a little…" **Ryou began to say but Joey finished the sentence.****

**"Spooky…" All in the room, except June glared annoyingly at Joey for having such a big mouth as to say what was in everyone's mind.**

**"Spooky?" June repeated the boy's statement with some alarm. She didn't want her new friends to she think she was weird or scary. Joey realized how he had once more run at the mouth and tried to change the subject quickly to mend some of the damage.**

**"I mean… Hey, the pizza is here!" Joey said before jumping on his feet and running towards the door.******

**"Oh great, I'm starving!" Tristan replied before going eagerly after his friend. Téa and Mai had felt awkward staying there so they excused themselves to go to the kitchen to get some drinks, napkins and other stuff.**

Ryou noticed how June kept staring at Yugi's dark magician so he tried to make conversation to clear the tension in the room.

**"Yugi's Dark Magician is one of those unique cards I was talking to you about, earlier at school." Ryou commented sparking her interest.******

**"Oh, you mean like your Change of Heart?" June asked and Yugi answered.******

**"That's right! Both cards are extremely rare, as well as most on your sisters deck." This statement made June a little sad again. ******

"I wouldn't know…" She turned her face away from the two boys to look down. 

**"She is not a bad person, you know? But she likes to keep most stuff to herself… I wish I knew what her favorite card was. Maybe then I could understand her better." At this moment all the boys and girls that were missing came back to the room carrying food and drinks for all to share.**

**"Lets dig in everybody!" Joey announced cheerfully.******

"Yes, but be careful is hot!" Tristan warned his friends as he laid the steaming pizza box on the coffee table. 

**"Here, you go guys." June said to everyone while showing them their cards,******

**"I wouldn't want to get your cards dirty." She smiled while they each took their cards from her hand.******

**"Is too bad there is no one left to read their fortune." Mai commented.******

"And just when I was really getting to enjoy it." Said Joey. "Yeah… If only Grandpa would have chosen another day to go buying supplies for the store… I bet he would have loved to meet you June." Yugi said. "That's ok Yugi, I can always come by some other time." Said June smiling brightly, when all of the sudden someone came up with an idea. 

**"Hey… what about Yami?" Said Téa, brightened by the idea of getting to know Yami better and having him join them for dinner.******

**"June can read his fortune, right?" Téa question Yugi as if asking for his and Yami's approval.**

"That's a great idea! I bet he could go for some pizza too." Yugi declared very positively, knowing very well what the spirit though of the idea. 

**"But, wait a minute Yug… Isn't Yami's favorite card the same as yours?" Tristan asked quickly.******

**"I don't know… I have never really asked him before." Yugi answered sincerely.******

**"Who's this Yami, you keep talking about?" June asked immediately curious.******

**"Oh, he is just my—" Yugi began to explain when he was quickly interrupted by Ryou.******

**"Yugi's older brother. Isn't that right you guys?" Ryou lied nervously while the others nodded in back awkwardly in agreement.******

**"Say Yugi… why don't we go up stairs and see if he wants to join us." The white haired boy asked while getting up and almost dragging his short friend out of the room. **

**"Hm… yeah sure." Yugi complied although he really didn't understand why Ryou wanted them to be alone. Once they where inside his bedroom and Ryou shut the door close, Yami appeared in the flesh next to his partner. ******

"So… I suppose there is something you want to tell us." Said the ancient spirit of the Pharaoh while crossing his arms over his chest.

**"Why did you tell June that Yami is my older brother?" Yugi asked a little defensively.******

**"Isn't that what we always say to people?" Ryou declared flatly trying to dismiss the importance of the subject.**

**"That's right… people… not our friends. June is all right! Why won't you trust her?" Ryou backed away a little. **

**"Is not that I don't trust her, it's just that… it's complicated." At this moment Ryou's dark half also materialized in the room to join the conversation personally. **

**"Complicated, ha?" Bakura commented very displeased with his hikari.**

**"So, if the Pharaoh here is going to pass as Yugi's brother then who will I be… an occasional annoyance? You weren't even planning to introduce me to your friend, weren't you?" Bakura said accusingly making Ryou become gradually mad.**

**"Well… no… not yet anyway. Besides, since when do like spending time with my friends?" Ryou said defiantly and Bakura answered him with same sentiment.******

**"Since I spent a whole afternoon locked up in my soul room because you can't take a joke." Their voices were now loud enough to reach the others who were eating peacefully at the leaving room.**

"A joke? The entire school thinks I'm gay because of you, and you think that's funny?"

**"Enough!" Yami commanded.******

**"You two need to solve your differences, but now it's not the time." He began to push the two boys gently away from each other but this only made Bakura angrier. **

**"Ah, to hell with this! I don't know why I even waste my time with you fools!" Said the dark spirit while pushing Yami out of his way and going out of the room.******

**"Where are you going? Yami!" Ryou called out to Bakura but his partner paid no head, Bakura just kept walking away angrily and mumbling curses to the wind.. Ryou thought of going after him but Yami stopped him from doing so thinking that it was wiser to let the furious thief calm down before talking again with the boy. **

**"Let him go Ryou... The two of you need some time apart right now. You know he is not reasonable when he gets mad." He said calmly.******

"But… where would he go? What if something happens to him?" Ryou said feeling very unease. It was true that he was still mad at Bakura but that didn't meant he had stop caring for his other half. 

**"Don't worry Ryou… I'm sure Bakura is quite capable of taking care of himself." Yugi said feeling sorry for the poor unfortunate soul who would cross the path of the angry spirit.**

When Yugi, Yami and Ryou went back to rejoin their friends, June had asked about the intangible yelling that had been heard followed by the sound of someone storming out of the game shop, and Yugi tried to dismiss the subject saying that it had only been the actions of an impolite customer and then went on by introducing her to his "older brother" Yami. She was very impressed to see how much the two boys resembled each other but other than that she thought nothing about it. Ryou was glad to see that she didn't suspect anything but then he also felt ashamed for having to lie to her and sad for making Bakura go away. His plan had worked but still he could find it in himself to feel pride and enjoy the moment. He kept quiet most of the rest of evening before it finally got late and everyone went back to their respective homes.

Meanwhile, that same night at Kaiba's large residence, Seto's little brother Mokuba stepped quietly into the  study to see how his brother was doing. He had missed his company during day and now he was very eager to tell him about his good day at school.

"Hey Seto! You in here?" Mokuba asked cheerfully but no one responded. The room was dark and cold with only the lightening of a gloomy fireplace as welcome. His big brother was nowhere to be seen making the little boy somewhat scared. "Seto…" He called out now softly and shyly and jumped on his feet when he suddenly heard the low unemotional voice of his brother coming from behind the back of a big chair. "What is it Mokuba?" Said Seto while looking out the big glass window. It seemed to Mokuba that his presence was very unwelcome as his big brother asked the question flatly without turning to greet him. "I… I just wanted to see how you where... Are you coming down for dinner?" Before Seto could give the negative answer to his brother, someone knocked politely at the door. "Sir… I have that information you requested." Said discreetly his chauffer and personal assistant Harold before entering the room with some papers and saluting the other young master. 

"Go on without me Mokuba, there is some business I need to take care off first." Said Kaiba before getting up and taking the written reports from Harold's hands.

"Ok… I'll see you later them." Said the little boy while excusing himself out of the room and wondering what was troubling his big brother to make him act as aloof and unfriendly as he used to do in the past.

After Mokuba left, Seto began a quick scan of the information his spies had gathered about his new rival in so short notice and found it to be unsatisfactory.

"Is this all they managed to find?" He asked very unpleased.

"Yes Sir, that is all… but if you asked my opinion on the matter Sir, I would have to say that most of the information is false is not completely made up." Said humbly his servant.

"Explain yourself, Harold." Said Seto feeling inpatient.

"I found some irregularities on her birth certificated as well on the other girl." Harold informed him making his master curious about a certain detail he was not awarded of.

"What other girl?" Seto asked and Harold responded by pointing out some pictures that were attached to the girl's files.

"This one right here… Her name is June Hashikawa. They claim to be sisters although they look nothing alike and there are no valid records that can prove their affiliation." Seto looked at the pictures of the young pretty girl and then at the one of his rival with a great more intensity. It was getting hard for him to visualize that pretty face as that of his enemy, so her turned the picture away hating her even more for being so attractive. 

"They have counterfeited all the official documentation we could find. Nothing other than their actual address seems to be true, but they do seem live together and care for each other." Harold explained while Kaiba began to look at the pictures of their residence.

"This place looks too expensive for two girls to be renting it on their own. Where do they get their income?" Seto asked.

"They claim to be the sole beneficiaries of a substantial inheritance but we are still checking on that." Harold declared promptly.

"Good… I want no one to rest until I find out who they really are. Mind no expense." Said Kaiba in his usual business manner.

"As wish Sir…" The servant answered humbly while excusing himself out of the study and leaving his master to carry on with his scrutiny of the gathered information. Seto went back to sit at his chair, and look over at the useless information he had in his hands. He then came across her picture once more and began to remember what she had said to him just before unleashing her final attack.

"You are so predictable…" He frowned and silently cursed his good memory while watching how he burned some of the papers away with the use of the fire from the chimney.

"We shall see little girl… we shall see…" He whispered to himself before placing the remaining papers inside his desk and under lock, and leaving the stuffiness of his study to join his brother at the dinner table.

TBC

Blue: _~sees her yami entering the bedroom. ~ _"So… did you like the movie?"

Yami Blue: _~ can't get pass the idea of his hikari looking lovely in blue silk pajamas. ~ _"What is that you ae wearing?"

Blue: _~smiles and models for him playfully. ~ _"Oh, you like it? This was one of Mom's Christmas gifts to me." _~ she giggles and scrambles away teasingly when her yami reaches out to touch the fabric. ~ _"Oh! That reminds me, I got a present for you!"

Yami Blue; _~ widen his eyes by the unexpected surprise. ~ _" You have a present for me?"

Blue: _~takes the present out of her hiding place and handles it to him. ~ _"I wasn't very sure of kind of present someone should give to his yami so I just picked out something that I thought you would like."

Yami Blue: _~tears out the raping paper to finds a big heavy book with a hard leather cover. ~ _"A book?"

Blue: _~smiles happily at his bewildered expression. ~ _"Not just any book, is a journal… your journal. I already wrote something inside but please wait until you are in the shadow realm to read."

Yami Blue: _~stares at her in wonder, ~ _"Why can I read it here with you?"

Blue: _~fidgets nervously like a shy little girl.~ _"Well because… it's kind of embarrassing."

Yami Blue: _~tries to maintain his usual unemotional tone of voice but fails, ~ _"I… I don't know what to say. I have nothing to give you return."

Blue: ~comes closer to him and gives him a quick peck on the check. ~ "You don't have to give me anything silly, it is always better to give than to receive." _~she leaves his side and jumps to her bed and covers herself to sleep. ~ _"Merry Christmas Yami…" _~she says sleepily followed by a soft yawn~_

Yami Blue: _~gives his hikari one of his very rare smiles that is both warm and sincere. ~ _ "And a Merry Christmas to you too, my hikari…" ~he says softly and with great affection before banishing himself to the shadow realm. ~ 


End file.
